No progress has been made in negotiations on compensation for seven parcels of agricultural land in Marsascala earmarked to site the American University of Malta as the owners insist on a higher payout.

Sources told Times of Malta that offers made so far by the government for the 10,000 square metres of privately-owned agricultural land have been rejected and the owners have submitted new proposals.

“The ball is in the government’s court,” one of the owners said.

“We have been offered an amount but after consulting our lawyers we’ve decided to reject it. We will now see what they (government) will come up with,” another owner said.

None of the owners would divulge any details.

About 90,000 square metres of pristine land outside the development zone in Marsascala has been earmarked by the government to be given to a Jordanian Group that wants to develop it into a private university. The government said the land would be given on temporary emphyteusis.

Among the owners of the private land in question are individuals known to have been closely connected with former Labour public works minister Lorry Sant.

We have been offered an amount but after consulting our lawyers we’ve decided to reject it

Pio Camilleri, who had been mentioned as owning land there, said: “I have no land in the area as I had sold it a long time ago.”

Asked whether he had transferred the land to members of his family, he said: “That might be the case. Listen. I don’t wish to speak about what is going on. That’s my comment,” Mr Camilleri said.

Another owner, Joe Camilleri, also declined to comment since negotiations were still ongoing. “We are dealing with the government and that is all I can tell you,” he said.

Landowners reject offer

Asked whether he was ready to sell his property to the government or challenge the decision on grounds that the land would be passed on to businessmen, he insisted he would not comment.

Norman Clews said that this was a private issue between the private owners, including himself, and the government. “I don’t even agree that the issue should have been mentioned in the newspapers,” he said, quickly adding he had no comment to make.

Times of Malta is informed the government has offered land owners €30 per square metre of land, the going rate for agricultural land. This newspaper reported last week the government budgeted a maximum of €500,000 for the 10,000-square-metre area.

More than that will be overgenerous

Questions sent to the Office of the Prime Minister yesterday on the negotiations were not answered at the time of writing.

An architect experienced in land evaluation said agricultural land in ODZ areas had little market value and €30 per square metre was already on the high side in view of the prevailing market value. “More than that will be over-generous,” he said.

The government has already warned it would carry on with land expropriation if the owners did not accept its offers.

According to legal experts, the law gives the governmentthe right to take over the land for public purposes even if it would be used for a private business venture.

The only remedy for private owners is to contest the level of compensation before the Land Arbitration Board.