Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/936285
maltatoday SUNDAY 4 FEBRUARY 2018 News 'ITS land transfer in the interests of the favourite few' ALTERNATTIVA Demokratika has reiterated concerns about land speculation in the St George's Bay area of St Julian's. With less than a week to go till the end of public consultation on the Hard Rock hotel project proposed on the current site of the Institute of Tourism Studies, AD said it was concerned at the large number of developments proposed in the area. "The tourism industry is being used by the government to camou- flage speculation surrounding the considerable number of residential high risers around St George's Bay. "AD chairperson Carmel Cacopar- do said. He added that land like that of the ITS development area was being sold for a minimal price, and in turn contractors were fetching millions, even before the planning process had even started. The green party's chairperson also expressed concern over the impact that the overall project would have on road infrastructure, the resi- dents of the area and the access to the coast, which he said was already limited. "Given that small stretches of the coastline in this area are still unde- veloped we point out that this is a unique opportunity to implement the Public Domain legislation ap- proved recently by Parliament," he said. "It is an opportunity to ensure access to all to the coast." AD spokesperson for Tourism and the Maritime Environment, Danika Formosa said she was dis- appointed by the fact that public consultation was short owing to an agreement of the government and the developers. "Official documents indicate that there is an understanding between government and the developers that the consultation period will be kept to a minimum. This is not a good sign," Formosa said. Vince Muscat 'il-Kohhu' admitted to hospital VINCE Muscat 'il-Kohhu' has been admitted to hospital after suffering chest pain in prison, where he is currently being held. Muscat, along with George De- giorgio 'ic-Ciniz' and his brother Alfred Degiorgio 'il-Fulu', stands accused of the brutal murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia in Oc- tober. The three men were in court on Thursday, as magistrate Clare Stafrace Zammit continued to hear evidence against them. Sources have said that Muscat is currently being treated at the Orthopaedic outpatients depart- ment at Mater Dei Hospital. Muscat has a history of crimi- nal activity, having been charged with alleged involvement a 2010 heist on HSBC. In 2014, Muscat was shot in the neck three times as he was park- ing his car in Msida. He drove himself to the police station, and later accused Jonathan Pace of Zejtun of having shot him. Pace was shot dead later that year. PRICE INCREASE The Sunday edition of MaltaToday is now selling at €1.95. It may seem a high price to pay for purchasing a newspaper on Sunday but in return we offer a record number of news story counts, surveys, analysis, interviews, opinion, culture and sport. Your support encourages us to reach out to our readers with investigative stories that uphold independent journalism and issue-oriented writing. Our newsroom is represented by a diverse group of talented and experienced journalists who are renowned for their irreverent style and hard-nosed journalism. Your continuous support strengthens our resolve to continue working in this challenging and difficult media environment. AD chairperson Carmel Cacopardo (third from right) addresses the press conference