The National Audit Office report on irregularities in the transfer of government land in Spinola Bay will be the first item to be tackled in the Public Accounts Committee.

Labour MP Robert Abela gave details of the case, which saw company Eighty-Two Limited acquire 83, Spinola Road during Jason Azzopardi’s tenure as Lands Minister through circumstances which the NAO report had described as “injudicious.” 

The report said the 2012 sale had failed to safeguard taxpayers’ interests and had not upheld the principles of transparency and good governance.

The report found there was no evidence of political pressure exerted by Dr Azzopardi, but raises suspicions over his potential involvement in the decision to go ahead with the sale of the property.

Meanwhile, Nationalist MP Beppe Fenech Adami was nominated to succeed outgoing chairman Tonio Fenech as Malta’s representative to the Commonwealth Association of Public Accounts Committees during the first meeting.