Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1460760
3 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 16 MARCH 2022 NEWS LUKE VELLA PRIME Minister Robert Abela played down his encounter with developer Joseph Portelli, days prior to the grant of a develop- ment permit in Sannat, saying he meets regularly with people from all walks of life. "Every day I meet people from commercial entities, as I meet people from all walks of life. The encounter with Portelli, occurred publically, when I met commercial entities in Gozo. I categorically deny receiving any donations from him and that the permit in question was ever mentioned," Abela said. The dinner organised by Portelli was attended by several Gozitan developers and had Ab- ela as a guest of honour. It was held in a Gozitan restaurant. Last week, the Planning Au- thority voted to approve an ap- plication by Portelli to build a block of 125 apartments just 300 metres from the cliff edge in Sannat, Gozo. With regards to the regular- isation of his Zejtun property, Abela refused to say whether he purchased it prior it being regularised. Instead he shifted his guns onto Opposition leader Bernard Grech, saying his prop- erty was built illegally and sanc- tioned later. MaltaToday revealed that La- bour leader Robert Abela ac- quired his Żejtun villa, a 2,200 square metre estate named 'Ċin- ja', just three months after it was regularised by the Planning Au- thority and freed from restric- tions for its sale. On Tuesday, Abela inaugurat- ed the opening of the second out of five open spaces at the Ta Qali National Park. He emphasised the park would be offering a higher quality of life and said the government wanted to offer safe and open spaces for everyone. Abela said the park could be be used both during the day and also in the evening for cultur- al activities. "What was a con- crete factory and a dumping site will now be transformed into a space, hosting a mecca of activ- ities," Abela said. Transport Minister Ian Borg said the area of the National Park was doubling in space, in- creasing the recreational area from 30 football grounds to 60. "What was a zone full of build- ings, illegal structures and gov- ernment offices - will be now transformed into a space, where artists can exhibit their talents," Borg said. Robert Abela plays down encounter with Joseph Portelli, says event was held publicly CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 This applies to those who re- ceived a passport through the cit- izenship-by-investment scheme, and those who acquired citizen- ship by other means. For example, if a Russian oli- garch acquired Maltese citizen- ship because their spouse in Mal- tese, government has free reign to take action and revoke their cit- izenship if placed under a sanc- tions list and deemed to be a se- curity threat. There has been a newfound im- petus at EU level to crack down on European citizenship-by-in- vestment schemes, more com- monly known as golden passports schemes. The European Parliament and European Commission appear to be on the same page for calling time on elites who use countries like Malta to buy EU citizenship. At the start of the Rus- sian-Ukrainian conflict, EC Pres- ident Ursula von der Leyen said that the Commission will commit to taking measures to limit the sale of so-called golden passports "that let wealthy Russians con- nected to the Russian government become citizens of our countries and gain access to our financial systems". Von der Leyen had already warned that Malta's citizen- ship-by-investment scheme has to stop in a visit to Prime Minister Robert Abela. Meanwhile, almost the entire European Parliament voted in fa- vour of a legislative proposal ask- ing Brussels to propose a law to shut down citizenship-by-invest- ment schemes. In fact, Malta's four Labour MEPs were the only members of the entire S&D Group not to vote in favour of the report, which calls for the stoppage of all citi- zenship-by-investment schemes by 2025 through a gradual phas- ing-out. A total of 595 out of 681 MEPs voted in favour of the report, sig- nalling to the European Commis- sion that it now must propose a way how to shut the door to elites who use countries like Malta to buy EU citizenship. Muscat said there has been no new communication from the EU's side on Malta's golden pass- ports scheme. No new communication from EU on Malta's golden passports scheme, Minister says Robert Abela Alex Muscat