Busuttil flags illegality in Sadeen’s ‘university’ application

PN leader Simon Busuttil yesterday pulled to pieces the government’s arguments in favour of transferring ODZ land in Marsascala together with a historical building in Cospicua to Jordanian construction group Sadeen which was handpicked for the construction of a private university.

“The way this university has been proposed is disgusting. Our objections are three: environmental, educational, and good governance. There are many people out there who are against this university. If there is something the prime minister has managed to do it is to unite these people against him: environmental NGOs, farmers, even hunting associations, the church’s environment commission, the Archbishop himself, and people from the arts and 150 academics, students, lecturers, and the Chamber of Commerce,” Busuttil said in Parliament.

Questioning Sadeen’s claim that the construction group will be running an international university, the PN leader said “it is illegal for licensees in the category ‘further education institution’ to call themselves a university.”

Hitting out at the construction group’s educational credentials, Busuttil asked “how can you give a licence for the running of a university to somebody who has never had any experience in running a university? This does not make sense.”

Busuttil added that the government’s decision to downscale the size of the  ODZ land which would be given to Sadeen for 99 years was of “no consolation,” insisting “the prime minister should not expect any thanks for ruining less ODZ and virgin land...”

“The people out there will be making their own judgement on the way things are being conducted… and it will be a negative verdict on what you are doing,” Busuttil said, attacking the agreement signed behind closed doors to award – originally – 90,000 square metres of public land at Zonqor to Sadeen.

“What kind of decision-making is it that the prime minister awards this kind of land to somebody without a public call for tenders, without this person having any experience in education.”

Describing the deal as a "farce," Busuttil said the project lacked transparency and raised suspicions of corruption. 

Concluding his steadfast speech, Buusttil said “money is this government’s god. Everything is for sale: land, people, companies, votes… everything is for sale under this government. Even Marsaskala’s mayor has boasted he is in favour of Sadeen’s university because the group will build the new local council premises.”

In his reply, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat categorically refused Busuttil’s “scaremongering” and accused him of trying to shed doubt on the educational certification body.

While failing to deny Busuttil’s claim that Sadeen cannot call their institution a university, Muscat said “the National Commission for Further and Higher Education is led by a person who is truly super partes.”

Defending the government’s decision to award Sadeen the land, Muscat compared the deal with past agreements brokered by previous PN governments.

Muscat cited deals such as the Mid-Med Bank sale to HSBC and the Smart City deal with Tecom Investments of Dubai, as examples where there was no scrutiny on such transactions.

“This project will be a game-changer,” Muscat insisted.

Race to the bottom

In a bellicose speech, former Labour MP Marlene Farrugia said the government rolled back its proposal to give 90,000 square metres of land to a foreign investor “only thanks to public outrage".

The now independent MP said that before the 2013 election, she implored voters to choose Labour as a transparent and accountable movement but the Muscat administration had turned good governance to “a race to the bottom.”

Quoting Roman lawyer and politician Cicero, Farrugia said “Any man can make mistakes, but only an idiot persists in his error.”

Taking the government to task for having forgone a public call for tenders, Farrugia said “it was a fait accompli even for us MPs in the parliamentary group. Not even our own local investors and businessmen were aware that this land was up for grabs.”

“This project, which could have been one of excellence, could have been Labour’s success, had we not been forced to be here today to debate the gift of this public land that will spell the end of what is a natural park. We will be robbing people of the virgin land at Zonqor Point in Marsaskala,” she concluded.