The Nationalist Party on Wednesday insisted that land at Żonqor handed by the government to the American University of Malta should be returned to the people without being exchanged with areas of SmartCity.

In a statement hours before parliament is due to vote on the property exchange agreement, the PN observed that Prime mInister Robert Abela had announced the deal with the Jordanian investors before the general election, without saying that land worth  €63 million at SmartCity was being transferred to the Jordanian investors for just €15,000.

The PN said it had resisted the handing over of the land in Żonqor from the outset but it was ignored. The government went ahead with handing over the site for the American University of Malta in terms of a deal that was ambiguous from the start. Now the government had manoeuvred with the investors, Sadeen, to appear to be taking back the land as Żonqor while deceiving the people about the conditions.  

"Today, Robert Abela has to decide whether to serve and protect the interests of the people or the interests of the foreign speculators," the PN said.