A couple who had two tumoli of land expropriated back in 1987 filed a constitutional application in court this morning, requesting compensation.

Espedito and Rose Sammut, the owners of the land in Alley 4, Ghar il-Gobon, Birkirkara, said the land had been expropriated for the building of a new road – Triq Tumas Fenech, but the expropriation was not carried out according to law.

Moreover, during the intervention, the Work Department employees demolished a historical farm that had been built in 1717 and caused substantial structural damage to the couple's house. The couple said they have since been asking for compensation but were never given any conclusive reply.

They said they were "systemically and infallibly" sent from one department to the next without any result.

The Sammuts claimed they have been denied the use and enjoyment of their property and that their suffering was "grave and absolute".

They argued that, as in the case by the late Dom Mintoff against the Prime Minister, decided upon in April 1996, the Constitutional Court should order compensation for a property the value of which had been brought to nothing.