PL hammers Jason Azzopardi over Spinola property sale saga

Parliamentary Secretary for Reforms Julia Farrugia, and PL MP Robert Abela yesterday said that there was a misrule of law in the controversial transfer of a property in Spinola, St Julian’s, when PN MP Jason Azzopardi was the minister responsible.

On Tuesday, former Director General for Lands Iman Schembri told the Public Accounts Committee that former Minister for Lands Jason Azzopardi was always aware of what was going on in the property transfer.

Robert Abela, addressing the press yesterday, said that the Public Accounts Committee continued discussing the case where the property was transferred to the private sector, a property that was valued by the NAO as being worth €2.4 million. The price of the transfer, Abela said, was €525,000.

He said that Azzopardi had gone against technical advice so that through the deal, the person who was ordered by the courts to be evicted from the land ended up benefitting from it.

He said that it is scandalous that a property that is worth €2.4 million saw government receive only €35.

The Auditor General had, in their initial report, indicated that the decision to outright sell the property, rather than go through an emphyteusis meant that government would only receive €35 with the remainder going to the Church.

Abela said that yesterday, it was said that Azzopardi was involved in every aspect of the case, that he was involved in crucial discussions.

Parliamentary Secretary Farrugia said that what was said yesterday was done so under oath. She noted that Schembri in yesterday’s PAC hearing, had noted a missing minute from the property file, and this when the NAO had noted a lack of documentation.

She said that aside from Azzopardi being involved in the case from beginning to end, and not just in the agreement stage.

She also said that what was said in the PAC made reference to certain pressure that goes further than meetings held and made reference to phone calls made.