Updated 3.30 p.m.

Equal Opportunities Minister Helena Dalli shunned Times of Malta questions twice this morning on whether she would publish the promise of sale agreement on her controversial Zejtun property, but the government then tabled the much-awaited document in Parliament in the afternoon.

Dr  Dalli refused to answer questions put to her, storming off after two press conferences today where she was asked when she was going to publish the agreement.

She referred journalists to documents tabled in Parliament yesterday, none of which were available at the time when both press conferences were being held. The government only tabled them this afternoon.

The document presented is actually a private writing which refers to a promise of sale agreement signed in January 2012 between the minister’s husband, Patrick Dalli, on behalf of Pada Builders Limited and the buyer.

Both the minister and her husband declared they were unaware of works ongoing on the site served with an enforcement notice by the planning authority. Their residential home is a few metres away.

The agreement signed never transferred ownership of the property to the buyer and it remains the property of Pada Builders Limited. Even the existing permit application currently being considered by the planning authority is in the name of Mr Dalli – the application requests the sanctioning of all illegalities on site.

The case officer who reviewed the application for sanctioning is recommending refusal, because the illegalities on site cannot be condoned even when considering the revised policy for buildings Outside Development Zones. Yet workers on site were seen  conducting finishing works on the house.

Patrick Dalli called Times of Malta today pointing out that he has challenged the leader of the Opposition on facebook to a TV debate on the issue. He told the journalist that pressure must be exerted for the debate to be held. When told journalists’ duty is only to report facts, he pointed out he was recording the conversation.

When she spoke in Parliament yesterday, Dr Dalli  said that somebody had to assume political responsibility for the way the Opposition had twisted the truth and lied about her over works on a property in Zejtun.

She insisted in Parliament that she was not involved in and could not have known about the works on the property.

(The works were being carried out in breach of a Mepa enforcement order on a property which is in the process of being sold by Pada Builders, a company which is in turn owned by Dr Dalli and her husband)

Dr Dalli said a promise of sale had been signed and the would-be buyer had publically declared that it was he who was carrying out the works, using his own workers.

 Referring to criticism of her made by Opposition leader Simon Busuttil, Dr Dalli said she had listed Pada Builders in her ministerial declaration of assets only because it formed part of the community of acquests with her husband. She had no shareholding in the company, nor was she a director. She had no responsibility and no say in the way it was run. 

“Not only did I not know of the works, and not only did I not send any workers to the site, as claimed, but there actually are no employees with this company,” she said.

 Although a Pada Ltd earth mover was seen on the property, this vehicle was not involved in the works. It had actually been out of order for years and had been abandoned on this property, she said.

Dr Dalli regretted that Nationalist MPs who held a press conference on the site had said nothing when the buyer had intervened to explain he was carrying out the works.

Instead, she said, the truth had been twisted and lies had been said, for which somebody had to assume political responsibility.