A call for tenders for the lease of public land for a kiosk in St Julian’s was suspended last month after Joseph Tanti and Mark Gaffarena separately showed an interest in the site, official records show.

Mr Tanti’s name is synonymous with kiosk operations and Mr Gafferena has been the subject of controversy over an illegal petrol station in Luqa and the Old Mint Street building scandal.

A permit for a kiosk and tourist information point in Ross Street, corner with St George’s Street, in the heart of Paceville, was issued in the name of John Bonello last January, according to Mepa documentation.

However, while the planning authority was still processing Mr Bonello’s application, Mr Gaffarena showed an interest in the same location for a kiosk and submitted his own application to Mepa on September 16, 2014.

Ten weeks later, Mr Tanti submitted a separate application for a kiosk on the same site, which is government land.

After Mepa issued the permit to Mr Bonello, it continued to process the other two applications for the site.

The planning directorate recommended the refusal of both those applications, with the final decision still pending.

Meanwhile, however, Mepa decided to review Mr Bonello’s permit on technical grounds. This has led to the suspension of the tender linked to the permit.

Mr Tanti or Mr Gaffarena may, in the meantime, acquire the Mepa permit needed in time for the next call for tenders.

Bidders interested in leasing the site for a kiosk were informed of the suspension of the tender by the Land Department two days before last Christmas. The tender had only been issued 16 days earlier. Now the planning authority must decide whether to withdraw or reconfirm the permit issued in the name of Mr Bonello and must also make decisions on the applications submitted by Mr Tanti and Mr Gaffarena.

caroline.muscat@timesofmalta.com