Aqra bil-Malti
On the eve of the last general elections, Anton Camilleri, known as Tal-Franċiż, bought a public alley in St George’s Bay, valued by the Lands Authority at €3 million for just €134,000, The Shift can reveal.
A valuation report drawn up by three veteran architects, now the focus of an investigation by the National Audit Office (NAO) related to the Villa Rosa project, shows that the market price of the 620-square-metre alley in 2022 stood at €2,986,600.
The independent valuation, seen by The Shift, considered the area’s value and the alley’s potential if it were to be developed, as proposed in the controversial Villa Rosa development.
To the disbelief of senior Lands Authority officials, on the eve of the elections in March 2022, a tender was issued to sell this alley for just €134,000.
The tender closed just two days before the elections. Anton Camilleri was awarded the tender at a fraction of its market value. Incidentally, he was the only bidder in the tender process.
The Lands Authority is controlled by CEO Robert Vella.
Tender made to measure
Investigations by The Shift show that the Lands Authority, the owner of the 106-metre-long alley that splits the Villa Rosa grounds in two, held various meetings with Anton Camilleri before the tender was issued. In most cases, CEO Robert Vella led the discussions.
These discussions led to an eventual call for tenders, specifically written to match Camilleri’s requirements.
In fact, instead of issuing the alley for an outright sale, as is standard practice, it was specified that “the passage cannot be obstructed with any structures up to the height of 5.5 metres from the ground.”
This meant that Tal-Franċiż could use the alley, giving him the right of passage to his massive project from the shoreline of St George’s Bay. He could even build above the public tunnel.
Why was the alley crucial?
The acquisition of the 5.5-metre-wide alley was crucial for Anton Camilleri’s project.
While the alley may seem insignificant compared to his project over 50,000 square metres of land, the alley splits his project as it runs through his proposed development. Without it, Camilleri could not link the two separate sides of his mega project.
Its acquisition completed his plans, which he later presented to the Planning Authority. The alley is now earmarked as an essential access point to his project.
The alley’s acquisition on the cheap is one of various ongoing manoeuvres by the government intended to benefit Anton Camilleri and his project.
The Shift already revealed how the prime minister, through a cabinet decision, instructed the Planning Authority to change the local plan to accommodate the Villa Rosa project so Camilleri could build his towers.
According to the current local plan, Camilleri would not be able to get a permit for his towers, which would be up to 34 storeys and completely engulf St George’s Bay.
NGOs opposing this development accused the Planning Authority of copying the requirements laid down by Garnet Investments Ltd, the company owned by Tal-Franċiż, in the so-called ‘consultation’ process.
The Auditor General has started its investigation following a request by NGOs.
The Opposition has opposed the change in local plans for Villa Rosa and insisted that any amendments must be holistic and not intended to benefit a particular project. But it stopped short of taking a stand on Camilleri’s project.
Camilleri is known to be a donor to both political parties represented in parliament and politicians from both sides of the House.
Sign up to our newsletter Stay in the know
"*" indicates required fields
MIDI moves closer to wind-down
Half-baked brief for Dalli’s recycled San Lucjan project – Qajjenza seafront to be commercialised
Excelsior expansion appealed as Malta faces 30,000-bed hotel surge
From Belarus ‘with love’
Tags
#Anton Camilleri
#Auditor General
#CEO Robert Vella
#investigation
#Lands Authority
#Malta Prime Minister Robert Abela
#NAO
#public land
#St George's Bay
#Tal-Franciz
#Villa Rosa project
Other News
MIDI moves closer to wind-down
Half-baked brief for Dalli’s recycled San Lucjan project – Qajjenza seafront to be commercialised
Excelsior expansion appealed as Malta faces 30,000-bed hotel surge
From Belarus ‘with love’
Abela hotel manager’s government contract ‘classified’
Only Amsterdam is turning a profit as KM Malta bleeds millions
Finance ministry skips key report as government spending spikes 17.5%
Election-eve hospital publicity cost €250,000 – irregular direct orders handed to companies with common owners
Marmara gets new direct order on geriatric care
Bedingfield defends police in parliament – years after his OPM blog targeted Daphne
From garage to home: Minister’s driver files new plans for Nadur ODZ site
Labour’s public tender process consists of private consultation, agreement, payment to the party, issue of unattractive tender burdened with restrictive conditions, awarding it as per agreed peanuts offer, and be sure that sometime in the future those conditions upon simple request will be quietly removed. All with the great leader’s blessings.
In the meantime Dr Bernard Grech is still consulting stakeholders to establish the PN?s position.
Meanwhile?..the opposition is silent?..does not look good. PNs window of opportunity to take a stand and fight tooth and nail is rapidly closing.
An appeal to Profs Cassola and other people who love their county – please mobilise a new party and return our nation to some sense of normality.
Labour is a criminal organisation. PN – with its silence is at best incompetent, and at worst complicit.
Tal blih! L poplu ghadu ma ndunax li dan kollu qed isehh ghax kollha business flimkien u l izviluppatur qed juri biss ismu w igwadi maghhom ovja! Din hi l verita!!! X mafia. Xi hmieggg!!
Prosit THE SHIFT NEWS urejtl L IPOKRESIJ TAN PN IZ ZEWG PARTITI FIL BWIET TA NEGOZJANTI. GHANDHOM RAGUN IZ ZAGHZAH U PARTI KBIRA MIL POPLU TILFU FIDUCJA TAL PARTITI L IKBAR, IL MESSAG JIEHDUH FIL VOT TIEGHI META IKUN IL WAQT
B min irid JITMELLAH DR BENNY?
Am I being naive by asking why the Lands Authority can’t ask Mr Camilleri for 3 million euros if that’s what the alley is worth? The fact that it is crucial to his development plans suggests that he might even consider paying a little more than the market value, if necessary. What is the point of accepting such a derisory offer other than leaving plenty of room for backhanders?
Perhaps I’m not being so naive after all!
You should also see what Ryan Fava is dealing and wheeling with him through Enemalta on the same site and project.
We need harsher laws for politicians that please and collaborate with corrupt people.
Exactly. Our lovely politicians are simply giving away our land practically for free to a few oligarchs who could easily pay what that land was really worth. They have no shame and are robbing the public blind while they inundate us with empty words.
What is worse is that the whole valley drain system will be developed. In an island with an architect on every corner!
you are probably correct in stating that considering the size of the project he might have paid a little more. probably the way it was proposed is as follows: Value of the land approx 3mill – tender value 130K…..a discount of 50% on the difference to be paid to Tom, dick and harry close to the 4th floor.