Lands Authority cancels tender as chosen few keep ‘milking legal fees’

A Lands Authority tender intended to introduce some form of meritocracy by doing away with direct orders for legal fees following years of abuse has inexplicably been cancelled.

The cancellation means Labour Party President Ramona Attard, former PN mayor turned Labour apologist Robert Musumeci and former Lands Parliamentary Secretary Deborah Schembri can be expected to keep earning thousands of euros in legal fees from the Authority through direct orders.

The Shift is informed that the tender, issued in 2021 and given to a group of around ten lawyers last year, was cancelled at the eleventh hour on the orders of Lands Minister Silvio Schembri.

It is unclear why the minister and Lands CEO Robert Vella cancelled the tender just before it was to be signed.

Lands Minister Silvio Schembri has not replied to The Shift’s questions asking him to explain the matter.

The tender’s cancellation will, however, benefit three particular lawyers engaged by the Authority by direct order worth several thousand euro a year.

There are those who benefit

Most of the Authority’s legal work, including court litigation, is currently being assigned by direct order to a handful of Labour-leaning lawyers – in particular to Ramona Attard, Robert Musumeci and Deborah Schembri.

The three handle most of the Authority’s many court cases and receive a cut from court fees based on the value of the case in question.

The value of the properties involved is significant, and consequently, so are Attard, Musumeci and Schembri’s payments.

As an example, the Musumeci-Schembri duo, who have set up the firm RD Legal for this specific line of work, earned over €10,000 for representing just one case.

In addition to acting as one of its lawyers, Musumeci also receives separate direct orders from the Authority for his architectural services.

Labour Party President Ramona Attard is also receiving legal work from the Authority. The Authority has turned down a Freedom of Information request for her contract, contending that releasing it would not be in the public interest.

The cancelled tender

The Authority issued the €2.1 million tender for legal services in February 2022.  Those selected through the tender were to enter into a four-year contract and be paid a maximum of €3,000 a month.

Around ten lawyers and legal firms were shortlisted and chosen.

These included former Gozo Minister Justyne Caruana; the sister of Public Works Minister Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi, Alexia Farrugia Zrinzo; former minister and current European Commissioner Helena Dalli’s son Luke and his partner Matthew Paris, among others.

But just a few days before the contract was to be signed, they were informed that the tender had been cancelled. No reason was given.

One of those shortlisted who spoke to The Shift said: “It appears that our colleagues who have been milking the Authority for years through direct orders were uncomfortable with us taking a slice of their pie and applied pressure to have the tender cancelled.”

                           

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carlos
carlos
11 months ago

kullhadd jithanzer – hekk hu, u kkonfermat min rosanna ta’ bla skrupli. Hniezer hallelin, jisirqu l-haddiem onest.

saviour mamo
saviour mamo
11 months ago

Rosianne Cutajar will always be remembered for introducing the Maltese word pigs “ħniezer” in the local political language.

Godfrey Leone Ganado
Godfrey Leone Ganado
11 months ago
Reply to  saviour mamo

Another word for ‘political prostitutes’.

Wenzu
Wenzu
11 months ago

Long live the trough, and all the pigs with their snouts deep in it.

simon oosterman
simon oosterman
11 months ago
Reply to  Wenzu

It would be unfair to pull it away. Luckily this was avoided at the last moment!

peter faure
peter faure
11 months ago
Reply to  Wenzu

Leave the real pigs alone please. They are not hypocrites like these parasites!

Dzam
Dzam
11 months ago

It is irrational how both Minister Silvio Schembri and his Permanent Secretary Ronald Mizzi have both been heavily condemned by the NAO on several other cases in the past, as key decision makers in a numbers of filthy deals, and yet no action has been taken.

It is becoming increasingly clear every day that the persons who should provide the necessary leadership in this country are heavily compromised to act.

makjavel
makjavel
11 months ago

Musumeci is getting it both ways.
He is an architect turned lawyer.
He has an architectural firm employing architects providing development permit services to developers.
But he is registered as a lawyer and cannot operate as an architect, the law prohibits a person to have more than one warrant.
So hos company gets the direct orders for building related work and direct orders for lawyer services . Buttered on both sides.
One of the PIGS on Rosianne diary.

Steve M
Steve M
11 months ago

Under the PN these fees were fished out to PN leaning lawyers

Steve M
Steve M
11 months ago

Same thing under the PN , just different actors

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