PN deputy leader Mario de Marco (as legal adviser) negotiated all aspects of the transfer of land in St George's Bay to the db Group, including the commercial clauses, minister Konrad Mizzi's office said today.
In a statement, the office noted that the minister had been asked by the Nationalist Party to explain the details concerning the db group St George’s land transfer.
"Dr de Marco is well-versed in the full details of the contract, including Clauses 7 and 8 which set out the payment terms over the lifetime of the contract.
"He also negotiated transferability, insurance, and penalty clauses, amongst others, all of which can only be considered as commercial in nature.
Dr. Mario de Marco only renounced the db Group brief after the contract was finalised and signed. The resignation only occurred once his actual conflict of interest was no longer there, the office said.
"Dr Simon Busuttil, as confirmed by Mario de Marco himself, had been made aware of Dr de Marco’s involvement from the very beginning. It is hypocritical for Simon Busuttil to try and give a different impression today."
The office also insisted that the valuation of the site was made by Deloitte 'at arm’s length' of the government.
DE MARCO: KONRAD MIZZI IS LYING ABOUT ME
In a statement, Dr de Marco said the minister was lying about him in the same way as he had lied about his Panama company.
"Konrad Mizzi is not only evading journalists, he is also evading the truth and trying to blame others for his actions."
The minister was doing so to defend himself from the serious claims of money laundering linked to his Panama company, Dr de Marco said.
I reiterate that at no time was I involved in the decision on the price which the db Group has to pay for the site- de Marco
As for the St George's Bay project, Dr de Marco observed that the minister first said that the value of the site and its price were decided by an independent firm, and now, because he was under attack, he was trying to shirk responsibility by blaming somebody else.
"I reiterate that at no time was I involved in the decision on the price which the db Group has to pay for the site," Dr de Marco said.
Rather than inventing lies about him, Konrad Mizzi should reply to journalists' quests rather than insult those journalists, he added.