Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1133773
3 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 23 JUNE 2019 NEWS challenged that decision, perhaps cog- nisant of the manoeuvres to outsmart the Church's duty to administer the foundation. It finally won the case on appeal in 2013, with the Chief Justice recognis- ing the Archbishop's right to nominate the rector to administer the founda- tion. At that point, the Church was the un- contested administrator of the founda- tion, a role which also meant it had to mount legal challenges against abusive rock-cutting taking place on the con- tested land. Yet just four years later, the Church would relent, and for a price, appoint- ed a rector to the liking of both Ber- racimp's owners as well as the Stagno Navarra family. In an unexpected turn of events, Archbishop Charles Scicluna ap- pointed as rector of the foundation the lawyer Patrick Valentino, also known as the lawyer to the MSSP clerical sex abuse victims, who had been seeking compensation from the Church, and as it happens, the partner of Dennis Montebello's daughter at the time of writing. In an agreement reached in Febru- ary 2017, Valentino now assumed the role to pursue the Giuspatronato's claims against Gatt Developments, to demand fees for rock-cutting that had gone beyond previously agreed limits. Importantly, this is the same Qala quarry that had been identified by the consortium Kalamarine – owners of which so far remain unidentified – for the development of a cruise liner ter- minal in Gozo, in the sole bid that had been submitted for a call for propos- als issued by the Labour government in 2013. It is by far the greatest indication of the millions that the land is worth now that control has been fully relinquished to private owners. The Church deal was sealed for the price of €200,000, a sum which the Cu- ria told MaltaToday was contracted by its Diocesan Finance Committee. "The release of the said land was an adminis- trative decision taken by the Diocesan Finance Committee. Dr Valentino was nominated by the family and accepted by the DFC." Crucially, the €200,000 was paid not just by the Stagno Navarra heirs, who fronted €120,000. The other €80,000 was paid out by Carmelo Galea and Dennis Montebello – Jimp Ltd's share- holders and owners of Berracimp. It is probably also for that reason that in August 2017, the Stagno Navarras, Montebello and Galea formed the Car- ravan Company Ltd. "The DFC was aware that Dr Galea and Dr Montebello had some form of interest in the land, but was not aware of specifics," a Curia spokesperson said, when queried about the interest- ed parties. There is no smoking gun of wrongdo- ing. But a source privy to the deal has questioned the Church's decision to relinquish control of the land. "Surely enough, the lands are now in private hands and that means emphyteuta on agricultural land will be raised for farmers. Already planning applications are being filed for the development of the land." mvella@mediatoday.com.mt 1992: The story breaks The first report on this case is in Alternattiva Demokratika's newspa- per, reporting the 24-hour decision by magistrate Carol Peralta to recognise Richard Stagno Navarra as the 'rector' of the Giuspatronat At this stage, the Church has only started its legal challenge to stop Per- alta's decision The shareholders in Berracimp transfer their shares to Jimp Ltd, which is now the controlling shareholder in the company Patrick Valentino (right) is the lawyer of the MSSP sex abuse victims seeking compensation from the Maltese archdiocese, seen here with bishop Paul Cremona. In 2017 he was made 'rector' of the Giuspatronat, upon agreement of Archbishop Charles Scicluna with the Stagno Navarra heirs. Together with Berracimp owner Carmelo Galea, he is pursuing court action against the quarry operators Gatt Development, over abusive rock- cutting (below); the highlighted part suggests they are open to settlement and discuss "matters other than simple rock-cutting" Two of the shareholders in Jimp Ltd, the sole shareholding company in Berracimp Properties: Gozo lawyer Carmelo Galea, and retired judge Dennis Montebello. In 1992 their company secured the Gozo lands on an emphyteusis of just Lm500 a year, for 150 years