PN calls for parliamentary investigation on Australia Hall

The Opposition has today submitted a request to have the Attorney General and the Commissioner for Land's decision to drop the case against the Labour Party over a number of properties in Pembroke, investigated by the Public Accounts Committee.

Last month, the AG and the Commissioner for Land informed court that the case against Labour leader Joseph Muscat, to reclaim ownership of properties following breach of contract, would be dropped.

The department had filed the case after claiming that Labour left the properties, including the historical building Australia Hall, to deteriorate, breaching the contractual conditions stipulated when the land was transferred to the party in 1979.

PN deputy leader Beppe Fenech Adami today said that Labour had "purposely delayed the court proceedings by presenting 50 witnesses." He said this was done with the intent to delay the process beyond the March election and Labour banked on its probable victory to have the case dropped once it is in office.

Describing it as an "obscene plan," Fenech Adami said that "Labour stole public land and is living off the land which belongs to the people."

Accompanied by opposition MP Ryan Callus, Fenech Adami explained that they were requesting a thorough investigation of the decision to have the case dropped, the government's transfer of land to the Malta Ship Building in 1979 and the subsequent transfer to the Labour Party in the same year, the contractual conditions and the current state of the land. Moreover, the opposition is asking the PAC to value the land.

Asking whether the lands department had dropped other cases of similar magnitude, Fenech Adami called on the PAC, where the government has a majority although chaired by opposition MP Tonio Fenech, to carry out the investigation immediately.

Callus also said that including Pembroke in the high-rise policy plan raised questions on whether there were any development plans for the area now belonging to the Labour Party.

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat defended the decision taken by the government to drop the case on the public property valued at €10 million.

In 1979, three properties had been transferred to the Labour Party in exchange for Freedom Press in Marsa, which was transformed into Malta Shipbuilding. The buildings are in a state of neglect after a series of fires.