Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1070939
SUNDAY • 13 JANUARY 2019 • ISSUE 1001 • PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY PAGE 7 €1.95 YOUR FIRST READ AND CLICK OF THE DAY WWW.MALTATODAY.COM.MT SUNDAY • 13 JANUARY 2019 • ISSUE 1001 • PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY SUNDAY • 13 JANUARY 2019 • ISSUE 1001 • PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY maltatoday HSBC Home Loans, ready for your every unexpected. Competitive interest rates Specialised lending managers to guide you through the application process Quick decision Terms and conditions apply. Approved and issued by HSBC Bank Malta p.l.c., 116, Archbishop Street, Valletta VLT1444 which is a Tied Insurance Intermediary for HSBC Life Assurance (Malta) Ltd under the Insurance Distribution Act 2006 and is regulated by the Malta Financial Services Authority. (Ref No. 105107-01/2019) Together we thrive When you instantly feel at home, go with it Delia denies domestic violence allegations MATTHEW AGIUS OPPOSITION leader Adrian Delia has denied the allegations of do- mestic violence levelled against him by his estranged wife and ac- cused the Times of Malta of lying about his ties to alleged brothel owner Emanuel Bajada. In a frank and wide-ranging in- terview yesterday with Andrew Azzopardi on Radju Malta 2, the politician said that the leak of a video of a domestic argument with his wife Nickie Vella De Fre- maux, was done for "malign rea- sons". When asked about the allegation of domestic violence, Delia said that it was not acceptable to have a leader of a party with a domes- tic violence conviction. "Clearer than this I cannot be. My decla- ration is that it is not acceptable to have a politician who is found guilty of this type of accusation." Delia refused to comment on the ongoing separation proceed- ings. "I am not going to talk about issues relating to my separation. Don't you think that if I say my wife leaked a video, I would be talking about my separation? Why not see who is editing the videos? Why not see who is using a person's personal life for politi- cal gain?" Corinthia will replace hotels with 12 tower blocks JAMES DEBONO A prospective deal to give In- ternational Hotel Investments (IHI) a renewed 99-year lease on land at St George's Bay for a six-star hotel project, will al- low the company to transfer the deed to any another com- pany. Malta's parliament has to vote on whether the lease to IHI, owner of the Corinthia hotel chain and also the Radis- son hotel - which allowed it to develop two hotels on St George's Bay - can now be changed so that it can develop residential and office build- ings on the coastline. The €121 million valuation on the land has also been dra- matically discounted to €52 million because IHI purchased the neighbouring Radisson Hotel, which it will demolish, as well as for the demolition of the Corinthia Marina Hotel. But the proposed deed will allow IHI to transfer all rights and obligations "in whole and in part" to any other compa- ny in which IHI is not a sole shareholder, even though IHI will remain responsible for the supervision and management of the project until 85% of the buildings and infrastructure related to the project are com- pleted. Corinthia can transfer lease to third parties and will be allowed to renegotiate its €52 million land deal in case of 'economic hardship' PAGE 3 A HISTORY OF THE MALTESE LAND GRAB How public land always get transferred to the business class for a pittance PAGES 12-13 NEIL FALZON The importance of being a human rights activist INTERVIEW 16-17 2 INSIDE Dreaming up a pop childhood fantasia ILLUSTRATOR LISA FALZON on her laest exhibition FILM SUSPIRIA Guadagnino's disappointing remake TEODOR RELJIC'S review Not the full Monti... MICHAEL FALZON on why Chris Cardona is wrong about his open markets policy PG 23