Land in Qormi transferred to Mark Gaffarena had its value reduced by 90 per cent by government architects because of “illegal” buildings, which he himself was responsible for, this newspaper has learnt.
Mr Gaffarena was given the land in Tal-Ħandaq at Qormi as part payment for the expropriation of a building in Old Mint Street, Valletta.
The land parcel hosts an entertainment venue, known as Taċ-Ċavett, built without a permit.
According to a 2012 enforcement notice issued by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority it was Mr Gaffarena who was responsible for the breach. Two investigations are under way since this newspaper revealed that government expropriated half ownership of the Valletta property valued at €1.65 million.
The government paid for it in cash and seven parcels of public land in Siġġiewi, Żebbuġ, Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq, Qormi and a property in Sliema.
Independent evaluations by architects commissioned by Times of Malta had already shown that the parcels of land he was given were worth at least double the price tag given by government architects.
The reasoning behind the government architects’ evaluations was published by Malta Today. Commenting on these evaluations, the independent architects who had made the counter-assessments for this newspaper picked on the Tal-Ħandaq land evaluation in particular, saying it was “obscene”.
One architect said: “Instead of adding an occupancy compensation value for illegal use, government architects reduced the value of the land and rewarded illegality. This is obscene because more land had to be given to him to compensate for this reduction.”
He also pointed out that government architects took into consideration the construction costs per square metre in their evaluations.
“An architect never estimates a property by considering its construction value but, rather, the value accrued by the property vis-à-vis its position, planning policies and so on.”
It was not only the value of the Qormi land that was reduced by 90 per cent because of planning infringements but also another Mr Gaffarena was given close to it in Żebbuġ.
This land is adjacent to a second parcel of land he was given in the same area.
Both are strategically located behind Taċ-Ċavett, the venue that continues to promote itself for group parties by the pool despite Mepa having said it was “illegal” three years ago.
Planning Parliamentary Secretary Michael Falzon has so far defended the deal, saying there was no political interference although he requested an internal investigation. Another investigation is ongoing by the Auditor General at the request of the Opposition.
Use of DOI attacked
The Opposition yesterday slammed the government for using the Department of Information, paid for by taxpayers, to issue statements critical of the Nationalist Party’s reporting on the Gaffarena deal.
The DOI statement was issued late last Thursday after Net TV featured a comment by Labour Party whip Godfrey Farrugia on the controversial hunting holiday Planning Parliamentary Secretary Michael Falzon had with Mr Gaffarena.
Dr Farrugia said Dr Falzon told him it was not true. Labour later clarified they were referring specifically to a hunting trip in Argentina – it was the place that was contested, not the fact they had travelled together.
The DOI statement said the report on Net TV was “based on manipulation and spin” and was “far from the truth”.