Fort Chambray development back before parliament

The parliamentary audit committee yesterday disagreed on a resolution for the transfer of Fort Chambray in Gozo to Michael and Carol Caruana of Victoria, and the issue will now be debated in a plenary sitting of the House of Representatives.

Public Investments Minister Austin Gatt said the 99 year emphyteutical grant of the fort approved by the House in April 1993 had been terminated and the property would now be transferred to the Caruana family on emphyteusis which would expire on April 12, 2092.

He said the Caruanas would buy the government's 49 per cent stake in the development, having already bought the shares held by the other shareholders.

Opposition deputy leader Charles Mangion recalled that the opposition had been strongly against the original transfer of Fort Chambray. It wanted the issue to be debated in the full House so that the government could explain whether previous shareholder Roberto Memmo had been pushed out. What had he been paid? What had been his role within Fort Chambray?

Dr Gatt said that the government had not paid anything to any of the previous shareholders and the government's shares in Fort Chambray were to be sold to the Caruana family for Lm1.2 or Lm1.3 million. The family would also pay a premium of Lm1.5 million and taxes. The annual ground rent would be Lm12,100.

Dr Mangion said it was a step forward that the site was being taken over by a Maltese entrepreneur. But were the negotiations carried out by the family itself?

Dr Gatt said that they were.

He said that he would eventually put on the table of the House an evaluation of the site by a property expert.

Dr Mangion pointed out that the site consisted of 90 tomna of land with five plots on every tomna. Some 50 tomna could be developed.