Updated 7.33pm: adds PL statement
Jason Azzopardi has accused the government of burying an auditors’ report which valued public land in Sliema at more than double what the Fortina Group paid for it.
Police were given details about the report and told where to obtain a copy of it in December, Azzopardi said, but have so far failed to act on that information.
The lawyer and former MP made the allegations on Saturday after being told by the police that he was being stripped of a reserved parking spot outside his Sliema home.
“Robert Abela is corrupt, because those who do not fight corruption is himself corrupt,” Azzopardi said.
His claims focus on a contentious 2019 deal the government struck with the Zammit Tabona family, which owns the Fortina Group. Under the terms of that agreement, the company agreed to pay €8.1 million over 10 years to make the land available for commercial use.
Under previous terms, the land could only be used for tourist purposes. The new deal effectively meant it could develop the land into apartments, shops and offices.
That concession drew fiery complaints from the Opposition at the time, which argued the valuation was artificially lowered following “instructions” from higher-ups.
On Saturday, Azzopardi reignited that controversy. The Office of the Prime Minister had in March 2019 intentionally hidden a report which valued the deal at between €18 million and €20 million, he said.
The OPM was at the time led by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and his chief of staff Keith Schembri. Both are facing corruption charges over separate, unrelated deals.
Azzopardi said that Muscat’s successor as prime minister, Robert Abela, had done his utmost to keep the report buried but that the National Audit Office had obtained a copy.
The police knew that because he gave the financial crimes investigation department (FCID) details about it last December, he said. Azzopardi said that to this day, investigators have not made any further inquiries into the report.
Fortina rebuts 'inaccuracies'
Fortina Group, however, strongly rebutted the "inaccuracies" made by Azzopardi adding it "will not be dragged into political controversies".
In a statement issued on Saturday afternoon, Fortina Group pointed out the valuation for the removal of restrictions on part of the land owned by Fortina was carried out by Deloitte, at the group’s request, and was of €2.7 million.
"It is important to clarify that what Fortina paid for was the removal of restrictions on land that the group had already owned and paid for many years prior," a spokesperson for Fortina Group said.
The valuation made by three independent architects at the request of the Lands Authority was of €8.1 million.
"Although Fortina considered this second valuation of €8.1 million to be excessive, it accepted and this was approved by Lands Authority board and later passed through parliament," the spokesperson said.
Fortina added the third valuation of €20 million referred to by Azzopardi was never brought to the group’s attention.
Azzopardi loses his parking spot
Azzopardi went public with the information after being informed that a reserved parking spot given to him by Transport Malta last October was being revoked. Azzopardi was granted the privilege after he was assessed to be a security risk by the police, Malta Today had reported.
Writing on Saturday, Azzopardi – who has since gone to war with the Abela-led government by filing a flurry of requests for magisterial inquiries into corruption allegations – said the government wanted to silence him.
He said he was now going public with his report to the FCID “to show them that nobody will shut me up”.
Lies and slander - PL
Reacting to the allegations on Saturday evening, the PL accused Azzopardi of “lies and slander” saying that Robert Abela “was not even part of the country’s executive” during that period.
“Even more so, he had no knowledge of any auditing firm report, as alleged by Azzopardi, when a parliamentary vote was taken," the PL said in a statement.
Abela “never was and is not aware” of any corruption for “if he were, he would have acted immediately”.
The Prime Minister "rebuts, clearly and unequivocally the allegations made by Azzopardi".
The PL pointed out that the Auditor General, who is investigating this case, "did not even feel the need to send for the Prime Minister."
"When the Auditor General concludes and publishes the report, the people will be able to judge who said the truth and who made the allegations," the PL said.