Montekristo vineyards, located on “Malta’s largest illegally developed sites”, have received close to €13,000 in EU agricultural funds.
The winery and vineyards owned by construction magnate Charles Polidano, iċ-Ċaqnu, were already under an enforcement notice from the planning authority when the funds were allocated.
The 2008 notice refers to “works not according to approved plans, addition of souvenir shop, extension of stores and wine bar”.
The local paying agency for EU agricultural funds confirmed that €4,176.25 were allocated to Montekristo vineyards in 2012 under the Less Favoured Areas scheme.
This supports farmers in areas with handicaps to compensate for the disadvantaged conditions in which they operate.
The level of support under the LFA scheme is based on the amount of agricultural land area applicants own.
Payment rate is €250 per hectare, 20 per cent of which is paid out of taxpayers’ money. The rest comes from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development.
Montekristo vineyards were allocated another €8,579.81 in 2013 as a direct payment from agricultural funds under the Single Payment Scheme (SPS).
The aim of SPS was to help farmers move away from producing specific subsidised crops and cultivate others that are in greater demand on the market.
It was also intended to change the way support to farmers was being distributed by removing the link between aid and production.
The objective was to create sustainable agricultural activity, animal welfare, public needs and keep land in good environmental condition.
Montekristo Estates, which hosts the vineyards, has about 64,000 square metres of land under enforcement notices.
Last week, Times of Malta reported that the sprawl had grown after Mr Polidano’s workers carried on building less than a year after he apologised for the inconvenience caused by the illegalities at Ħal Farruġ.
Mepa enforcement officers stopped the work last week after they discovered the development.
This was after this newspaper reported that Polidano Group would be facing criminal charges for keeping exotic animals in poor condition at an illegal animal park, also on Montekristo Estates.
Following reports by Times of Malta on the allocation of agricultural funds under the Rural Development Programme 2007 to 2013, the paying agency has been asked to compile a report for the European Commission’s Internal Audit and Investigation Department.
EU auditors lambasted the agricultural paying agency in 2010, saying it was not up to standard.
It found examples of insufficient audit trails, miscalculations of aid eligible to farmers and payments made before anomalies were solved.
cmuscat@timesofmalta.com