[WATCH] Infrastructure Malta expropriations completely legal, Minister says

Land expropriation by Infrastructure Malta is being done completely legally, either through the proper avenues or through arrangements with the land owners, Minister Ian Borg said.

Borg explained that whenever there isn't a complete and proper expropriation agreement in place with landowners, Infrastructure Malta will seek out an agreement with the relevant land owners and then set out to carry works on their land.

"If a third party, that has nothing to do with this agreement between a government entity and a land owner, doesn't like that bilateral agreement, then that's not something we can work on," he said.

"However, I'm informed that Infrastructure Malta always had either the proper expropriation agreement or a bilateral agreement with the land owners in place."

He added that if there were any cases where the law has been broken, then one is free to seek legal redress by the available means.

"Some go to the Standards Commissioner every week, some go to the Ombudsman regularly, and some ask the police to investigate."

The expropriation issue was recently flagged after Infrastructure Malta tried to start works on rural land in a Dingli alley last year despite the landowners receiving no information that their fields were expropriated,

When a second attempt was made this year, and subsequently stopped by activists and residents, Infrastructure Malta kicked off the process.