Equal Opportunities Minister Helena Dalli walked away from journalists who asked questions on works at the Żejtun property owned by her husband’s company, Pada Builders Limited.
She shunned Times of Malta questions twice on whether she would publish the promise of sale agreement on the controversial Żejtun property, saying the information requested had been tabled in Parliament the day before.
No transfer of property could result from such a document
However, no such information was available in Parliament at the time journalists approached the minister. The government only tabled the documents on her behalf later.
The document in Parliament is not the promise of sale agreement, according to a notary contacted by Times of Malta.
It is a private document referring to an existing promise of sale agreement signed in January 2012 between the minister’s husband, Patrick, on behalf of Pada Builders Limited, and the buyer.
“No transfer of property could result from such a document,” the notary said.
The document makes it clear that Pada Builders Limited, a company in which Dr Dalli’s husband owns 99 per cent of the shares, remains the owner of the property.
The minister said in Parliament on Wednesday she had no shares in the company, was not a director and had “no right” to participate in its operations. Dr Dalli declared the company in her ministerial declaration of assets because half her husband’s assets belong to her through the community of acquests but she said this would only kick in if they separated or he passed away.
But the notary said the community of acquests kicked in at the start of the marriage.
When asked how many other properties were ‘hidden’ under her husband’s various companies, Dr Dalli refused to elaborate, saying the information was easily traceable. It is not.
Getting the information from the Public Registry would result in a bill of hundreds, potentially thousands, of euros.
Moreover, four companies listed in her declaration of assets were not in line with the requirements of the Companies Act to submit annual audited accounts.
An up-to-date picture of their performance could therefore not be assessed.
Up to 2012, millions of euros in assets were held by the companies, which declared a minimal profit, some even a loss.
Both the minister and her husband declared they were unaware of works on the site served with an enforcement notice by the planning authority. Their residential home is a few metres away.
The existing permit application being considered by the planning authority is in the name of Mr Dalli, who is seeking the sanctioning of all illegalities on site.
Mr Dalli called Times of Malta yesterday pointing out that he had challenged the leader of the Opposition on Facebook to a TV debate on the issue.