Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/850837
3 maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 19 JULY 2017 News Bilom withdraws Wied incita application JAMES DEBONO CONSTRUCTION group Bilom has withdrawn an application proposing the development of a huge industrial park for small- and medium-sized enterprises equipped with an overlying so- lar farm over 158,000 square metres on the site currently taken up by quarries in Wied Incita, Attard. The application was with- drawn after the Planning Di- rectorate issued a case officer report recommending that the PA should turn down the ap- plication. The application also foresaw the construction of a fam- ily recreational park and a 7,600m2 retail outlet. Accord- ing to the report the proposed development of an SME park with overlying solar farm and the construction of a retail outlet located Outside Devel- opment Zone were not consid- ered "legitimate or necessary" within the rural area. The approval of the application was also deemed to prejudice the national waste manage- ment objective in view of the national issue related to the lack of space for the disposal of inert waste. The land ear- marked for the development is disturbed by quarrying ac- tivities, which according to residents are causing a serious inconvenience due to noise and dust. But as proposed the development also foresaw an extension to one of the exist- ing quarries and the relocation of the existing quarry entrance and administrative offices to the Zebbug side. Moreover the development did not envision the rehabili- tation of the land for agricul- tural use. According to the lo- cal plan "on exhaustion of the mineral resource, the Wied Incita quarry is to be used as a natural reservoir and drain area". Bilom's proposal had included an extension to one of the existing quarries Zammit Dimech was clear favourite to replace Comodini Cachia CONTINUES FROM PAGE 1 Jona- than Shaw was the first to be eliminated, having accumu- lated 2,245 votes after the first count. Helga Ellul was eliminated next and was fol- lowed by Kevin Cutajar and Ray Bugeja. The seat at the European Parliament became available after Comodini Cachia was elected to the Maltese parlia- ment at the last general elec- tion. The human rights law yer had originally declared that she would not be taking up her seat in Malta in order to stay on as MEP and help to "rebuild Malta's reputa- tion abroad", however, after a strong backlash she changed her mind and decided to re- main in Malta. Chris Said and Adrian De- lia – two of the three candi- dates running for National- ist Party leader – visited the counting hall to meet party officials and candidates over the course of the day. Delia made an appearance in the morning as proceed- ings got underway, returning later in the afternoon before the contest was over. 'PN should stop ignoring NAO reports pointing fingers at Azzopardi' – Labour MIRIAM DALLI THE latest reports issued by the Auditor General are the "umpteenth" confirmation that former lands minister Jason Azzopardi had repeatedly failed to respect the principle of good governance and transparency, Labour deputy leader for party affairs Chris Cardona said. Flanked by PL MP Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi, Cardona insisted that the latest reports by the Auditor General on the transfer of property in St Ju- lian's and the expropriation of the Fekruna Bay property were damning and smacked of lack of good governance and transpar- ency. "This is not the first time that the Auditor General has con- demned Jason Azzopardi dur- ing his role as minister," Car- dona said, recalling that equally damning reports had emerged on the 2009 land transfer of the former Lowenbrau brewery in Qormi and the acquisition of the Valletta property from HSBC. Cardona insisted that the PN could no longer let the matter be ignored. "The credibility of the PN as a credible opposi- tion is at stake. It cannot keep employing two weights, two measures. If Azzopardi doesn't want to shoulder responsibility himself, then the party's leader should take action." Cardona went on to add that, in the past, the PN had taken steps against its own MPs. "Si- mon Busuttil had taken action against Giovanna Debono," he added. In the latest report on the expropriation of the property at Fekruna Bay, the NAO ac- knowledged that the govern- ment's efforts to acquire land to be returned to its original state for the benefit of the pub- lic, served the intended public purpose. However, the NAO argued that it deemed "anoma- lous" procedures in the "amica- ble agreement" which the prop- erty evaluation committee had adopted. A comparison of the valua- tions of the lands exchanged as established by the Internal Au- dit and Investigations Depart- ment and those cited in the con- tract, revealed a difference of €1,127,424, adverse to the gov- ernment. The NAO also found that the owners of the expropri- ated property had been involved in valuing government-owned land. In the case of the transfer of the property at 83, Spinola Road, St Julian's, the NAO found that the temporary emphyteusis of this Joint Office property was ac- quired by E.G. Property Hold- ings Ltd in 1998, at which point the emphyteusis had already expired. By the time the GPD became aware of this anomaly, the company had developed the site as part of a larger complex. Compounding matters was the company's encroachment on public land when extending the development over the adjacent foreshore, over which the gov- ernment had initiated judicial action. Notwithstanding the court ruling in the government's fa- vour, the GPD disposed of the site, including that of the expired emphyteusis, for €525,000. "It remained unclear to the NAO who instructed and au- thorised the assimilation of the foreshore with that of the ex- pired emphyteusis. Although this decision followed a meet- ing between the GPD and the company, the Office traced no documentation authorising the incorporation of the foreshore as part of 83 Spinola Road, which assimilation significantly increased the dimensions of the site," the NAO said. The NAO said it had noted various instances when deci- sions to dispose of the site were taken based on incomplete in- formation, including authori- sation of the tender proposal by the Director General (DG) GPD, referral to the Depart- ment of Contracts and approval by the Minister for Finance, the Economy and Investment (Minister MFEI) and the Par- liamentary Secretary (PS) Rev- enues and Land. "Critical in this respect was the involvement of the Com- missioner of Land, who was certainly aware of the court ruling yet failed to bring this significant fact to the fore not- withstanding numerous oppor- tunities to do so. In the NAO's understanding, the omission of any reference to the foreshore misled the due consideration of the case and cast doubt on the integrity of the process," the NAO said. "The government failed to secure value for money in the disposal of this site for €525,000, which amount was agreed to by the par- ties following arbitra- tion. The NAO estab- lished the value of the site and structure at €2,400,000. Even if one were to con- sider the site and its p o t e n t i a l , which the NAO val- ued at €1,500,000, it is imme- diately evident that the GPD failed to obtain a fair value for the property." Whilst the NAO did not find direct evidence of political pres- sure, it highlighted the involve- ment of the then Minister for Fair Competition, Small Busi- ness and Consumers, Jason Azzopardi, and his head of sec- retariat in the latter stages of the process of disposal. "In the NAO's opinion, the context of the change from perpetual emphyteusis to sale indicated an element of min- isterial involvement, for it was after a meeting held with the Minister MFCC and the Per- manent Secretary MFCC that the DG GPD recommended disposal through outright sale. This contrasted with an ear- lier recommendation by the DG GPD and the endorse- ment of the Minister MFEI and the PS Revenues and Land for disposal of the site through per- petual emphy- teusis." Therese Comodini Cachia vacated her seat in the European Parliament after she was elected to the Maltese House of Representatives at the last general election NAO highlights Jason Azzopardi's involvement in disposal of St Julian's property Labour deputy leader for party affairs Chris Cardona addressed a press conference together with PL MP Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi SEE ALSO: FULL REPORT ON NAO CONCLUSIONS ON FEKRUNA BAY EXPROPRIATION – PAGE 6