Public documents show Vassallo Group paid €8 million for Lowenbrau property – Nazzareno Vassallo

“The public documents, in black on white, show that in 2009 the Vassallo Group paid Marsovin Limited €8 million for the purchase of the company LBM ltd. with the guarantee that the land would be free of any ground rent or use of land conditions,” Vassallo Group Chairman Nazzareno Vassallo told The Malta Independent.

Mr Vassallo went to say that, “In fact, the contract written by Keith German on 3 December 2009, between the Lands Commissioner and Marsovin, freed the land of any ground rent and conditions.”

Mr Vassallo was responding to questions sent by this newsroom after he denied a request to be interviewed.

“As a person who operates within a commercial enterprise, I do not wish to be involved in discussions within the political arena,” Vassallo said.

In the multiple press conferences Minister Owen Bonnici held regarding the National Audit Office report on the issue, Dr Bonnici failed to mention that Vassallo had in fact paid the €8 million, as is confirmed in the report itself.

There was also little mention of former minister John Dalli’s involvement in the deal.

Mr Dalli, who was at one point an aide to current Prime Minister, had sent a letter to the Lands Commissioner requesting that the stateowned land in Qormi be granted to Marsovin in perpetuity for annual ground rent of Lm5,000 a year for the first two years and Lm10,000 a year thereafter, on the condition that the area be used as a brewery.

John Dalli was also the chairman of Marsovin from 2004 to 2008 in between two cabinet posts.

Mr Dalli had been asked to resign from his previous cabinet position over corruption accusations in the regular purchase of air tickets from his daughter’s, and in turn his, travel agency.