Boathouse lessee files judicial protest

A man facing eviction from public land, Saviour Mallia, has filed a judicial protest against Parliamentary Secretary for planning Michael Farrugia claiming that he received threatening correspondence to be evicted from a boathouse he rented from the Commissioner of Land.

For the past 34 years, Mallia had been renting boathouse No 34 at Upper Islet Promenade in Bugibba.

The applicant held that on 19 October 2011 the Constitutional Court decreed that the Commissioner of Lands had not paid compensation to the company Residual Limited, for land the government repossessed to construct Islet Promenade.

The Court held that the ownership of the boathouses under the street was to pass to Residual Limited in lieu of compensation.

Instead of appealing the court's decision, Mallia claimed that the Commissioner of Land used "threatening correspondence" urging him to vacate the boathouse.

Mallia insisted that he will not leave since there is still a valid term of rental in force.

Mallia added that he would not vacate the premises before ARMS Ltd disconnect his electrical supply, in order to prevent incurring utility bills for services he would not have used. "Otherwise ARMS would still bill me as the registered consumer, even after I vacate the place," Mallia said.

The applicant accused the Commissioner of Land of using a different weight and measure, and asked that the government investigate the reason why the Constitutional Court's decision had not been challenged, or why Residual Ltd were not compensated and no legal action taken against those occupying public land illegally.

Dr Anna Mallia signed the judicial protest.