Lands Parliamentary Secretary Michael Falzon promised that by the end of the year a process would be initiated for people owed for past expropriations to get paid.

Speaking on RTK’s programme Ma Bundy this evening, Dr Falzon insisted that there was no political interference in the controversial expropriation of a Valletta property involving Mark Gaffarena. The deal was uncovered by Times of Malta a few days ago.

He also defended the government’s architects’ evaluation saying they were the same people used by the Nationalist administration.

PN planning spokesman Ryan Callul insisted Dr Falzon had signed a deal that was unacceptable.

He accused the parliamentary secretary of rewarding an illegality by giving Mr Gaffarena a property in Handaq, Qormi, that had been served with an enforcement notice in 2012. In doing so, the government had endorsed an illegality.

Dr Falzon, however, insisted that staggered expropriation of land or property, as happened in the Valletta case, was standard practice.