Equal Opportunities Minister Helena Dalli stuck to her guns as the Opposition insisted she should shoulder political responsibility for illegal works on her Żejtun farmhouse.

She was reacting to a report in Times of Malta that the farmhouse, which is awaiting a planning authority decision to sanction illegalities on site, had further work done on it last week despite an enforcement notice. The permit application is in her husband’s name.

Dr Dalli said there was a promise of sale agreement on the property in question, as it was being sold tale quale and the prospective buyer had possession since signing the promise of sale agreement.

The Opposition said yesterday it had asked the minister to publish the promise of sale agreement in the name of transparency. It was not done, the Nationalist Party said.

Machinery on site belonging to Pada Builders Limited, a company she owns. Photos: Matthew Mirabelli

Even if such an agreement existed, the minister and her husband remained owners of the property until it was transferred and they were therefore responsible, planning spokesman Ryan Callus said.

Dr Dalli said she had no knowledge about the works on site, but vehicles present while illegal works were ongoing belong to Pada Builders Limited, a company she owns.

Mr Callus and environment spokesman Charlo Bonnici said Dr Dalli had “lied” when she claimed not to know about the works, since the machinery being used belonged to her company. Furthermore, the property was located only a few metres away from where she lived.

Dr Dalli said yesterday the farmhouse “was never owned” by her and her husband, developer Patrick Dalli, but by Pada Builders .

The farmhouse was not listed under the properties section in her ministerial declaration of assets, The Sunday Times of Malta reported last week. Dr Dalli pointed out she declared her interest in Pada Builders Limited when signing her ministerial declaration of assets, so “she declared her assets”.

She did not answer questions by Times of Malta on how many other properties were ‘owned’ by her companies. One of the aims of the ministerial declaration of assets is that the public is aware of what assets are held by politicians before they became ministers and how that wealth accrued during their time in office. In cases where assets are ‘hidden’ under company names, the public may be misled.

Asked whether Dr Dalli should have listed the farmhouse in her declaration of assets even if it is owned by one of her companies, Mr Callus said the property should have been listed and it was “deceitful” that it was not.