Michael Falzon should have given up his Parliamentary Secretary seat six months ago, Alternattiva Demokratika insisted yesterday.

The Green party was reacting to Wednesday’s publication of a National Audit Office report slamming Dr Falzon over the Gaffarena property deal, which led to his resignation from Parliamentary Secretary.

The Auditor General found “collusion” between the Land Department and Mark Gaffarena in the expropriation of a Valletta property.

Yesterday, AD deputy chair Carmel Cacopardo said Dr Falzon should have resigned six months ago, when the director general of the Government Property Division had also resigned.

In August, Raymond Camilleri tendered his resignation as director-general of the department citing family health reasons. The resignation had not been made public and it had come at a critical time for the department, which was at the centre of ongoing investigations over the expropriation of half a building in Valletta.

Falzon’s resignation was the correct way forward, although he should have done so six months ago

Meanwhile, AD noted that the Auditor General’s report was a “clear condemnation” of the way in which the division started the expropriation process without clear justification of the public interest.

“The report is also clear that former Parliamentary Secretary’s Falzon was not capable and competent enough to oversee the operations of the Property Division under his watch.

“Falzon’s resignation was the correct way forward, although he should have done so six months ago when the Internal Audit and Investigations Department’s report was published,” Mr Cacopardo noted.

Referring to the Prime Minister’s comments that the administration of public land would be reformed, he expressed hope that the country would benefit from this “saga” through procedures that safeguarded the public interest in the administration of public land and property.