In the Press: Gaffarena inquiry finds land values ‘were illegal’

MaltaToday reveals that an inquiry into the lands granted to Marco Gaffarena as payment for the Valletta property controversially expropriated from him, was in excess of a legal 30% ceiling which such land valuations cannot exceed. In an exclusive report, the newspaper reveals that the inquiry revealed a trend of excess land valuations since 2008, and that the inquiry could kick-start demand to take back lands granted in expropriation deal.

On the front page, the newspaper also reports how two close political aides to PN deputy leader Mario de Marco have been suspended over their freemasonry links, after they were found in breach of the party’s code of ethics.

Sunday newspaper Illum says a survey carried out by the Gozo Tourism Association (GTA) shows that 64% of hoteliers in Gozo are “strongly against” having a tunnel link with Malta. In another story, the newspaper says that the Institute of Tourism Studies (ITS) in St Julian’s will be converted into a five star hotel.

The Sunday Times of Malta says a tunnel between Malta and Gozo will see travelling time reduced to 12 minutes, while in an interview with the newspaper, police commissioner Michael Cassar  says police officers are not all pulling the same rope.

The Malta Independent on Sunday says Electrogas will still receive regular payments from the state even if Simon Busuttil chooses to purchase electricity and gas from cheaper sources if elected prime minister.

It-Torca says a ‘contraband king’ in Libya, Fahim Slim Mousa Ben Khalifa, is a director of a company in Malta which owns a vessel purported to be involved in illegal activities.

Nationalist news organ il-mument says the government’s first 30 months were characterised by frequent cases having a whiff of corruption, while in another story, the newspaper reports that an English hospital refused the accept the donation of Maltese blood during the treatment of a Maltese patient in a London hospital.

Kullhadd says traffic congestion in Malta has been worsening for more than 10 years, and that despite this, previous Nationalist administrations remained idle.