Falzon denies interference in expropriation, says NAO reached ‘contradictory conclusions’

Michael Falzon has gone out with guns blazing as he accused the National Audit Office of having authored a report that was replete with inconsistencies and contradictions, even demanding an investigation into how its conclusion was partially leaked to the press.

Falzon, a former head of legal services at Bank of Valletta, resigned his post as parliamentary secretary for lands after the NAO delivered a damning verdict on the way he facilitated the expropriation of Mark Gaffarena’s part-ownership of a Valletta building, for a compensation of €1.65 million in cash and lands.

In his resignation letter, Falzon told Muscat he denied ever interfering in any business, evaluations or other procedures related to the case that went against established policy procedures that have been followed for decades.

Michael Falzon Resignation Letter by maltatoday

“I cannot not remark at the inconsistency and contradictions in the NAO report, in which parts allege that I ‘facilitated’ the expropriation and others say that I did not interfere enough… the NAO had to make an effort at trying to justify the contradictory conclusions it arrived at.”

Falzon also insisted that parts of the NAO report were leaked to the press before it was tabled.

He concluded his resignation letter saying that he was putting himself at the service of the government “in the best interest of the country which I always served in the most honest and sincere way.”