S. Mifsud & Sons Ltd was yesterday awarded over €1 million by way of compensation for land that had been expropriated two years ago.

Magistrate Giovanni Grixti, presiding over the Land Arbitration Board, heard that the company owned a plot of land in Gżira abutting on the Regional Road measuring 1,276 square metres.

The land was expropriated by the Government in June 2010 and the company was offered €280,000 by the authorities as purchase price.

The company refused the offer insisting that the land was suitable for development and was worth €1.35 million.

The architects sitting on the Land Arbitration Board found in favour of the company and declared that the land was worth €1.13 million as it was situated in an area where a four-storey high building with a semi basement and penthouse could be erected.

The level of compensation awarded by the board represented the value that the land could be expected to fetch if it were sold on the open market.

The Commissioner of Land was ordered to pay the compensation within three months.