A Mellieħa councillor has asked the ombudsman to investigate the land transfer of a green lung in the village for residential development.

In February, Mellieħa residents had petitioned the government to reverse a land transfer of some 5,300 square metres in Tal-Qortin so that it can remain a public open space.

The Lands Authority previously issued a call for tender for the perpetual revisable emphyteusis of the site abutting Triq il-Migbha, Triq is-Saghtar, and Wesgħat in-Narċis.

Subsequently, developer Paul Attard filed a planning control application seeking to establish parameters for the land to eventually be developed.

Councillor Gabriel Micallef then wrote to Ombudsman Joseph Zammit McKeon asking him to investigate the transfer, saying that there are concerns about the legitimacy of how the transaction went ahead.

“While I’m aware of the Lands Authority’s approval of the sale of Mellieħa Heights’ green lung in April, ongoing reports, including the alleged disregard of a parliamentary petition, indicate that there are matters requiring further investigation,” Micallef said.

“This public land, despite facing hundreds of objections from nearby residents, has been sold for a perpetual revisable emphyteusis at a nominal yearly fee, redeemable over a specified period. The estimated market value of the land is approximately €12,000,000.”

He said that the circumstances around the sale “raise serious questions about the transparency and fairness of the transaction”.

Micallef requested the ombudsman to specifically look into the process by which the land was put up for sale and identify if there were any deviations from standard procedures.

He also sought clarification on whether “relevant authorities” could have potentially influenced the outcome of the deal.