A carpenter yesterday filed an official letter against the government claiming he was promised a factory space at Ta’ Qali crafts village only to be told that he could not have it and was offered an alternative area.

Mario Vella and his wife, Frances, said they had even signed a contract with the Commissioner of Land in February 2005 after applying to have one of the factories that were meant to have been built in Ta’ Qali. The contract, which was extended over a number of years until the end of this month, specified that the factory would be built by the government over an area of 125 square metres.

Only recently the couple said they were informed by the Commissioner of Land that he had no intention of transferring the property in question to Mr Vella and instead offered him a piece of land that he had to develop himself.

Such behaviour was unacceptable and illegal and the Vellas held the Commissioner of Land responsible for any damages.

Lawyers Josè Herrera and David Camilleri signed the letter.