The approval of the handout of coastal land in an Outside Development Zone to a Jordanian investor for a higher education institution was the latest symptom in the government’s spiralling reputation for bad governance, NGOs said yesterday.

The government did its utmost to rush the process, putting the cart before the horse by handing out land to Jordanian construction company Sadeen Group before the project was approved, both in terms of planning and educational accreditation, said Front Ħarsien ODZ.

The company is a one-man show, according to official documents. “It now transpires that Sadeen has not even applied for university status and that his development will also include sea view guestrooms, entertainment facilities, a clinic, restaurants, project-related outlets and berthing rights,” the NGO said.

The group was joined by other NGOs slamming the project, which will occupy pristine land at Żonqor Point in Marsascala for what was supposed to be the American University of Malta – a project that met widespread opposition from the start.

“The development is characterised by terrible governance,” the group said, adding the government ignored the environment parliamentary committee, its own planning policies as well as civil society “through its bulldozing style”.

Flimkien Għal Ambjent Aħjar was extremely critical of Mepa CEO Johann Buttigieg, saying he had acted as a facilitator rather than the head of an authority that should be acting as a regulator. The site selection process was a sham, FAA said.

The NGO pointed out the government was boasting of a low unemployment rate and yet justified the handout of a prime site for the creation of 300 jobs, saying many will be taken up by foreigners.

This, FAA said, did not justify “robbing the Maltese of their birthright and further raping the land”.