PAC to grill Falzon, ex Lands director over Gaffarena affidavit

The Public Accounts Committee will grill former planning parliamentary secretary Michael Falzon over an affidavit signed by a former Lands Department director on the Gaffarena expropriation scandal.

The PAC also agreed to grill Carmel Camilleri, who said in his affidavit that he had felt threatened by Falzon’s office to steam ahead with the expropriation of half a house form property developer Marco Gaffarena.

Upon the request of PAC chairman and Opposition MP Tonio Fenech, the PAC agreed to meet in the next session, which will be held after Parliament breaks for Easter recess.

Carmel Camilleri, former director of estate management, said in his eight-page affidavit that Gaffarena would plant himself on a desk outside the corridor of his office, waiting for him to inform him on the progress of his expropriation request – that ultimately earned him €1.65 million in public lands and cash.

Clint Scerri, back then the aide to Michael Falzon accompanied Gaffarena several times to the Lands Department, insisting with Camilleri to draft minutes for Falzon to approve on the spot.