The Marsascala council had asked the government to ensure open space at Żonqor Point remained protected as recently as last January, only to change its position a few months later to support the proposed American University.
Replying to a memo issued by the Parliamentary Secretariat for Local Government asking local councils to list open spaces in their locality and the work needed for these areas, the Marsascala council had noted Żonqor Point as a valuable open space requiring protection.
“The council believes that large open spaces like Żonqor and Munxar should remain so for the enjoyment of the public. The council… is asking the government to ensure the protection of these areas,” was the reply.
The government memo and the reply were seen by The Sunday Times of Malta.
The council’s position changed soon after the government announced it was willing to hand over 90,000 square metres of land outside the development zone (ODZ) to a Jordanian investor to build a new university that had no accreditation.
Yesterday the Times of Malta revealed that Marsascala mayor Mario Calleja had reached a deal with Sadeen Group – the company behind the proposed American University of Malta – for the council’s new premises to be built by the company free of charge.
The Labour mayor confirmed he would “take what he could” from the deal and had asked the CEO of Sadeen Group for “help in kind”.
“Of course I asked what the capital gain for the council would be,” Mr Calleja told this newspaper.
They’re constantly trying to justify why Sadeen Group should be given a piece of land at Żonqor
The council was last year granted a Mepa permit to build new council premises on a public local space in Ġnien Santa Tereza, close to the parish church.
Despite criticism from Nationalist Party councillor Charlot Cassar that these negotiations compromised the council’s stand, Mr Calleja insisted there was nothing wrong with “latching on to what you can”.
Widespread opposition to the university and its location led the government to announce a compromise last August in which the original plan to allocate 90,000 square metres of ODZ land to the university was reduced to 18,000 square metres.
The government will be handing over Dock 1 in Cospicua to the AUM while sports facilities and a dormitory are to be built on the reduced Żonqor Point site.
Joseph Muscat said the 13,000 square metres allocated are within the development plan while a further 18,000 square metres is ODZ.
Shadow Environment Minister Marthese Portelli slammed the mayor’s stand: “He’s not there to see what he can gain as mayor. The council’s position in January is completely opposite to what the mayor is saying now”.
She said it was unacceptable that a contractor was being given something the public did not want to give away so the council could build its premises. “They’re constantly trying to justify why Sadeen Group should be given a piece of land at Żonqor,” Dr Portelli said.
She said it was “inconceivable” that the mayor was conducting negotiations with the company while the public still did not know what the government signed with Sadeen Group. She also referred to the Mepa report on alternative sites, which ruled out the use of historical forts saying the authority lacked information on the project’s size and scale.
“So we can eliminate alternative sites based on a lack of information but we’re confident enough to nominate parts of Żonqor,” Dr Portelli said.
Alternattiva Demokratika deputy chairman Carmel Cacopardo said in a statement yesterday that the Marsascala mayor should be investigated by the Local Governance Board