Government signs lease agreement with International Institute for Justice and Rule of Law

Rights of public, investors should be safeguarded at all times - Malta Chamber

A lease agreement was signed on Thursday by the Government of Malta and the International Institute for Justice and Rule of Law.

This will lead to the IIJ to move to a permanent home at the Birgu Armoury, built by the Knights of St. John and used for different purposes during the years. The IIJ will move in after the completion of extensive renovations, estimated at millions of euros, the greater part of which is being financed by the United States of America.

The IIJ was conceived during meetings by ministers and senior officials of the Global Counter Terrorism Forum, an organisation of about 40 countries from around the globe.

The lease agreement was signed in the presence of Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dr George W. Vella, the Ambassador of the United States of Amerika, Glenna Kathleen Hill and the Ambassador of Turkey, Reha Keskintepe, by Robert Srang, Executive Secretary of the IIJ; Peter Mamo, Director of the Government Property Department on behalf of the Government of Malta and Joe Borg Bartolo, Legal Counsel of the IIJ. The Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry appealed to the government yesterday to ensure that the rights of the general public as well as those of present and prospective investors are safeguarded at all times.

In statement, the chamber said it has been following the development of events at Manoel Island and, while refraining from entering into the legal merits of the case, it considers as unacceptable any action of forced entry or the taking of the law into one’s own hands. A democracy such as ours provides for legal remedy should rights be considered to have been violated, the chamber said.

The foreshore, as defined at law, is unquestionably public domain yet by no means does this entitle one to violate private property rights so as to access such foreshore.

If this were the case then a number of establishments would be faced with the same situation as that arising at Manoel Island. It is important for the rights granted by Government to the private sector to be protected.

MIDI is a public interest company, which is listed on the Malta Stock Exchange and with no less than 6000 persons as bond or share holders be these large or small investors.

The chamber therefore strongly appealed to the government to ensure that the rights of the general public as well as those of present and prospective investors are safeguarded at all times.