The official responsible for the sensitive Land Department submitted his resignation a few days ago, Times of Malta has learnt.

Joe Bugeja had been Commissioner for Land since 2012.

When contacted, he said he did not wish to give the reasons for his decision.

“I can tell you that I’ve decided to resign. However, although I’ve explained the reasons for my resignation to the minister, I don’t wish to elaborate further at this stage,” he said.

Sources close to the government said the resignation of Dr Bugeja was the result of months of turmoil in the department, particularly due to the lack of communication and consultation between government ministers and civil servants responsible for the handling of government property.

“The resignation of the Commissioner of Land has been long coming,” a senior government official told this newspaper.

“Despite his remit and legal obligations, decisions were being taken directly by politicians without the civil service being involved and behind the commissioner’s back,” he said.

The Land Department has been in the news repeatedly over the past year following some controversial decisions.

One of them was over Australia Hall and the former Raffles Disco in Pembroke, which had been handed over on an emphyteusis basis to the Labour Party in 1979 in exchange for land in Marsa to extend the shipyard.

Despite his remit and legal obligations, decisions were being taken directly by politicians

Soon after Labour returned to power last year, the new government decided that the department should halt a court case instituted against the party by the former Nationalist administration. The PN government had wanted to repossess the property, claiming breach of contract because it was left in a dilapidated state.

The decision to discontinue the court case paved the way for Labour to re-negotiate the sale of the properties to third parties.

Another controversy involving the department was the recent payment of €4.2 million to a private company so the government could take back a property in Valletta used by Cafe Premier.

The deal struck between the government and Cities Entertainment Ltd included the waiving of hundreds of thousands of euro in arrears of ground rent owed to the department, as well as in taxes, electricity bills and outstanding bank loans.