The government has requested the Auditor General to investigate the transfer of certain land and property under two Nationalist administrations from 2006 to 2013.
The request, presented by Justice Minister Owen Bonnici during a sitting of the House Public Accounts Committee, asks the Auditor General to investigate whether good governance, transparency and accountability, together with value for money, were observed in transferring five properties.
These include the land at Tal-Fekruna in Xemxija, the former building in Republic Street passed on to HSBC, a property in Spinola Road, St Julian’s and the former brewery in Qormi.
The minister asked that the investigation be considered an extension of the investigation requested by the Opposition into the transfer of property at Old Mint Street, Valletta.
PAC chairman Tonio Fenech said the Opposition did not object to this investigation but one could not bind the Auditor General to investigate and conclude the report regarding this investigation simultaneously with the investigation on the Old Mint Street property.
The committee then continued its discussion of the Henley and Partners contract regarding the Individual Investment Programme, with Dr Bonnici saying more than 600 applicants had applied under the scheme, this being one third of the 1,800 capping mark.
He told the Committee that if the full target was reached Malta’s coffers would grow by €1.4 billion.
Mario de Marco (PN) queried the four per cent marketing and processing fee which Henley and Partners would be paid if applicants were attracted to Malta by Maltese practitioners and agents.
Nationalist MP Claudio Grech said that potentially Henley and Partners could earn €60 million if 1,800 people gained citizenship under the programme.
Labour MP Charles Mangion argued that at the end of the day Malta was getting good value for money from this programme, which the Opposition had harshly criticised when it was launched.
He remarked that no Maltese agents or companies had shown an interest in marketing the whole programme.