Mellieħa’s mayor, councillors and residents have asked the Auditor General to investigate a land transfer which saw a developer get a stretch of public, undeveloped land to turn into a guesthouse and apartments.
Working in collaboration with NGO Il-Kollettiv and with the endorsement of Momentum chair Arnold Cassola, the Mellieħa stakeholders want the National Audit Office to look into the way the Lands Authority approved and concluded the deal to the benefit of developer Roderick Conti of 121 Property Services.
It is the second such request Mellieħa residents and Il-Kollettiv have filed. Late last year, they asked the NAO to look into a similar land transfer in Mellieħa Heights which will turn a parcel of undeveloped public land into a massive apartment block.
In this case, residents’ concerns are focused on an August 2022 deal which saw the Lands Authority agree to grant a site between Triq is-Salib and Triq Salvu Camilleri to Conti on perpetual emphyteusis.
Conti must pay €151,212 a year for the site, and the agreement can be revised within its first 15 years.
The site in question is slated to be developed into a 26-room guesthouse and 28 apartments, together with 12 underground garages and 28 overground car spaces. It currently serves as an open space for the residents of Triq is-Salib, Triq Salvu Camilleri and Triq Żnuber.
Mellieħa residents, several councillors and Il-Kollettiv believe the yearly price established by the Lands Authority does not reflect the land’s true value. They say the development will also rob locals of a valuable open space.
“Due to the similarities between this agreement and that of Mellieha Heights, we have collectively decided to institute a second request for investigation,” the residents said.
“We believe residents have a right to know what’s happening on their doorstep, especially if there’s a system whereby public land is given away for development at ridiculous sums,” said NGO Il-Kollettiv in a statement on Monday.
The request for an investigation into the transfer of land to Conti was signed by residents of Mellieha, the Mayor, Deputy Mayor and three local councillors, il-Kollettiv, and politician Arnold Cassola.
The request follows a similar one filed by Il-Kollettiv and Mellieħa residents in October.
Il-Kollettiv noted that the Planning Authority had "fast-tracked" the permit application after residents asked the NAO to look into the land transfer, approving it within six weeks.
"This sudden efficiency is a tacit confirmation that these agreements merit further investigation,” the NGO said.
The Mellieħa Heights application, which the PA approved, is currently being appealed. Apart from the NAO investigation requested by residents, that deal has also been cited in a request for a magisterial inquiry filed by lawyer and former MP Jason Azzopardi.
After the permit was approved, Prime Minister Robert Abela said he did not want the Lands Authority to approve any further such transfers.