Momentum says MPs must choose between justice and complicity in the Fortina deal

Momentum Leader Arnold Cassola stated that the Fortina Land heist is the result of fraud and deceit by Joseph Muscat’s Chief of Staff, Keith Schembri, and  Lands Authority high officials, who hid the Grant Thornton 23 million evaluation from parliament.

In the case of such fraud, according to Chapter 573 of the Laws of Malta, it is only the Attorney General, the State Advocate or a sitting MP who can file a court action to demand rescission of an illegal land transfer.

Momentum is therefore challenging PL and PN MPs to file a court action to demand the rescission of the Fortina deed due to the proven fraud.

Lack of MPs to file such a case would mean accepting the heist perpetrated at the expense of Maltese taxpayers. 

Prof. Cassola continued, “The Fortina land heist casts doubts on the whole system when it comes to giving away public land. For example, why did the Abela administration choose the day in July 2023 when the Prime Minister said no in Parliament on the Jean Paul Sofia Inquiry, to pass on public land to private entities?

While we were all protesting in front of parliament in favour of the Sofia Inquiry, Abela and Co. passed on public land in Qormi to the PAVI shopping complex for 4.9 million euros, when the original valuation was 14 million. How did the PN justify its vote in favour?

Also, in the same sitting, Minister Silvio Schembri had insisted on granting a  65-year temporary emphyteusis to Fortina, despite the fact that the Fortina owners had already illegally extended their hotel lido and had taken over 18,000 square metres of the sea facing the hotel.  The PN voted against.

“Why did Minister Schembri insist on gifting Fortina land and sea it had illegally occupied, at the time when the whole country’s attention was riveted on the Sofia public Inquiry debate”?

Momentum committee member, Matthew Agius, added: “The new Leader of the Nationalist Party should not play with words. Unfortunately, we saw how Alex Borg was first in favour of towers in specific parts of Gozo, and just a few days later, changed his tune after realising that people had had enough of uncontrolled development.

Soon, the Planning Authority will make a decision on a 13-storey building in Xlendi, developed by Joseph Portelli and friends. Is Alex Borg going to lead the protests against this proposed high-rise building in his island of birth?

Unfortunately, we continue to see how the Nationalist Party and the Labour Party are very close to developers, as was evident with the last leadership campaign activity held by Alex Borg at Monte Kristo, a venue known for wide breaches and illegalities that were nonetheless legalised.

Alex Borg must act decisively and firmly. He needs to show through actions, and not just words, that he is not in the hands of the developers.”

The General Secretary of Momentum, Mark Camilleri Gambin, said: “This scandal is just the latest symptom of a rotten system. But anger is not enough. We have concrete proposals on how to fix the situation as it stands.
First, we are proposing a Public Integrity Act that obliges the National Audit Office to verify the assets of every politician, with criminal prosecution for those who make false declarations.

We are also proposing to open the government’s books with a Public Spending Register Bill, which would create an updated and accessible database providing visibility on every euro spent by the government. Commercial confidentiality should no longer remain an excuse to hide agreements made behind closed doors.

Secondly, we will make it clear that we must protect the little public land we still have left. We are proposing a constitutional amendment that prohibits the sale of public land for commercial use. No more giveaways. Every lease should be short-term, require a three-quarters parliamentary majority, and be strictly tied to the absolute preservation of the original character of the land.

This is our plan: real checks, open books, and a constitutional shield for our land. We want to replace a system of political convenience with one of constitutional protection and absolute transparency.”

Camilleri Gambin concluded that the time has come to stop the selling off of our country.

Il- Membri Parlamentari jridu jagħżlu bejn il-ġustizzja u l-kompliċità fil-ftehim tal-Fortina

Ic-Chairperson ta’ Momentum, Arnold Cassola, qal li s-serq tal-art tal-Fortina huwa r-riżultat ta’ frodi u qerq minn Keith Schembri, iċ-Chief of Staff ta’ Joseph Muscat, u uffiċjali għolja fl-Awtorità tal-Artijiet, li ħbew l-evalwazzjoni ta’ 23 miljun ta’ Grant Thornton mill-Parlament.

Fil-każ ta’ frodi bħal din, skont il-Kap. 573 tal-Liġijiet ta’ Malta, huwa biss l-Avukat Ġenerali, l-Avukat tal-Istat jew Membru Parlamentari li jkun jista’ jressaq azzjoni fil-Qorti biex jitlob ir-rexissjoni ta’ trasferiment frawdolenti ta’ art.

Momentum għalhekk qed jitlob lill-MPs tal-Partit Laburista u tal-Partit Nazzjonalista biex iressqu kawża fil-Qorti biex jitlobu r-rexislsjoni tad-dokument tal-Fortina minħabba l-frodi ppruvata.

Jekk id-Deputati ma jmexxux fil-qorti fuq dan, ikun ifisser li jintlaqa’ s-serq mwettaq għad-detriment tat-tax payer Maltin.

Il-Prof. Cassola kompla: “Is-serq tal-art tal-Fortina jqajjem dubji fuq is-sistema kollha meta tiġi biex tingħata art pubblika. Pereżempju, għaliex l-amministrazzjoni Abela għażlet il-jum f’Lulju tal-2023, meta l-Prim Ministru qal le fil-Parlament dwar l-Inkjesta ta’ Jean Paul Sofia, biex jgħaddu art pubblika lil entitajiet privati?

Meta konna lkoll qed nipprotestaw quddiem il-Parlament favur l-Inkjesta Sofia, Abela u sħabu għaddew art pubblika f’Ħal Qormi lill-kumpless tax-xiri PAVI għal 4.9 miljun ewro, meta l-valutazzjoni oriġinali kienet ta’ 14-il miljun. Kif iġġustifika l-PN il-vot favur dan it-trasferiment?

Ukoll, fl-istess seduta, il-Ministru Silvio Schembri kien insista li jagħti enfitewsi temporanja ta’ 65 sena lill-Fortina, minkejja l-fatt li s-sidien tal-Fortina kienu diġà estendew illegalment il-lido tal-lukanda tagħhom u ħadu aktar minn 18,000 metru kwadru ta’ baħar quddiem il-lukanda. Il-PN ivvota kontra”.

“Għaliex il-Ministru Schembri insista li jagħti lill-Fortina l-art u l-baħar li kienu okkupaw illegalment, propju fil-waqt meta l-attenzjoni tal-pajjiż kollu kienet iffukata fuq id-dibattitu tal-Inkjesta pubblika ta’ Sofia?”

Il-membru tal-Kumitat, Matthew Agius, zied jghid: “Il-Kap il-ġdid tal-Partit Nazzjonalista m’għandux joqgħod jilgħab bil-kliem. Sfortunatament, rajna kif Alex Borg l-ewwel kien favur torrijiet f’ ċerti zoni ta’ Għawdex, u ftit jiem wara biddel id-diska wara li rrealizza li n-nies xebgħu b’żvilupp bla rażan.

Daqt, l-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar se tieħu deċiżjoni dwar bini ta’ 13-il sular ġewwa x-Xlendi mibni minn Joseph Portelli u hbieb. Alex Borg lest li jmexxi protesti kontra dan il-highrise fil-gżira tat-twelid tiegħu?

Sfortunatament nibqgħu naraw kif il-Partit Nazzjonalista u l-Partit Laburista huma viċin ħafna tal-iżviluppaturi, bħalma rajna fl-aħħar attività tal-kampanja elettorali li għamel Alex Borg ġewwa Monte Kristo  post magħruf għall-ksur ta’ regoli u illegalitajiet li xorta waħda ġew legalizzati.

Alex Borg irid jaġixxi b’mod deċiżiv u sod. Irid juri permezz tal-azzjonijiet, u mhux biss bil-kliem, li mhux f’idejn l-iżviluppaturi.

Is-Segretarju Ġenerali ta’ Momentum, Mark Camilleri Gambin qal: “Dan l-iskandlu huwa biss l-aħħar sintomu ta’ sistema hazina. Iżda r-rabja mhix biżżejjed. Għandna proposti konkreti kif nirrangaw is-sitwazzjoni minn kif inhi.”

L-ewwelnett, qed nipproponu Att dwar l-Integrità Pubblika li jobbliga lill-Uffiċċju Nazzjonali tal-Awditur biex jivverifika b’mod professjonali l-assi ta’ kull politiku, bi prosekuzzjoni kriminali għal min jaghmel dikjarazzjonijiet foloz. 

Nipproponu wkoll li niftħu l-kotba tal-gvern b’Abbozz ta’ Liġi dwar Reġistru tal-Infiq Pubbliku, li joħloq database aġġornata u aċċessibbli għal visibilita’ fuq kull ewro li jintefaq mill-gvern. Il-kunfidenzjalità kummerċjali ma ghandhiex  tibqa’ skuża biex jinħbew ftehimiet li jsiru bil-moħbi.

It-tieni, se nagħmluha ċara li se nipproteġu l-ftit art pubblika li fadlilna. Nipproponu emenda kostituzzjonali li tipprojbixxi l-bejgħ ta’ art pubblika għal użu kummerċjali. Daqshekk rigali. Kull kera ghandha tkun għal żmien qasir, u u teħtieġ maġġoranza ta’ tliet kwarti tal-parlament, u tkun strettament marbuta mal-preservazzjoni assoluta tal-karattru oriġinali tal-art.

“Dan huwa l-pjan tagħna: verifiki reali, kotba miftuħa, u tarka kostituzzjonali għall-art tagħna. Irridu nibdlu sistema ta’ konvenjenza politika ma’ waħda ta’ protezzjoni kostituzzjonali u  ta’ trasparenza assoluta.”

Camilleri Gambin ikkonkluda billi qal li wasal iż-żmien li nwaqqfu l-bejgħ ta’ pajjiżna.

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