A set of manoeuvres by the Lands Authority has landed Pierre Sladden a seaside property which he planned to develop into a restaurant.

Sladden is currently facing criminal charges related to the hospitals deal following the conclusions of a magisterial inquiry detailing his involvement as a freemason.

Situated right next to the shore in Dawret ix-Xatt, the property acquired by Sladden is public property operated by his grandfather for years and is in a derelict state, but Sladden wants to develop it into a seaside restaurant.

But he had a problem. His cousin was in the way.

The Lands Authority evicted Sladden’s cousin and took the premises back into possession a few years ago.

Shortly after, in 2021, the property was reissued for lease through a new tender.

The winning bidder is Eurybates Ltd – a company owned by Ivan Vassallo, the same owner of the beleaguered Technoline company and business partner of contractor Pierre Sladden.

Vassallo, through Eurybates Ltd offered the highest bid at €30,500 a year, just €500 more than the next bid, raising suspicions of internal intervention in the tendering process.

The winning bid was just €500 more than the second-lowest.

A family feud resolved by the Lands Authority

Sladden, the owner of construction company Red Map, had been trying to take the bar away from his cousin for many years, according to sources close to the extended family.

His cousin never wanted to hand it over, not even through payment or a management agreement commonly used, although irregularly, to swap possession of government property.

Developments seem to point to Sladden using his contacts to force his cousin out.

The Xghajra premises on the water’s edge to be turned into a restaurant.

The concession’s winner, Ivan Vassallo, is not in the catering business. His company, at the centre of the hospitals deal controversy, sells medical equipment.

Lands CEO Robert Vella did not reply to questions for an explanation.

Documentation from the planning process confirms Sladden used contacts and loopholes to acquire the property.

Compliance notice revealing the hidden hands.

The Planning Authority initially objected to application PA01809/22 to convert the area into a large restaurant next to the sea, recommending a refusal as it went against the local plan.

Yet, all was settled shortly after, as a few amendments to the submitted plans were made, and the application was approved.

A commencement notice officially declared that Pierre Sladden’s Red Map would carry out the planned works while his son Andrea would be the site manager.

Sladden’s machinery moved in earlier this year to upgrade the premises, but everything came to a halt when, together with Ivan Vassallo and others, he was summoned to court on criminal charges.

Since both Sladden and Vassallo were slapped with a freezing order, work on the new restaurant in Xghajra has come to a complete standstill.

The Shift tried to contact Sladden for comment but he did not answer his phone.