What was supposed to be a fully-fledged swimming pool built illegally on government land has turned out to be a fully-fledged kiddies’ paddling pool placed in a garden leased by the government to a now-very-irate man.

A report carried in the 19 August issue of the newspaper illum accused Mr Carmel Schembri of cordoning off a government-leased property with a nine-course wall, removing the soil and building the foundations for a swimming pool.

Mr Schembri showed this newspaper around the back garden that the government had leased to him in 1986, stipulating that he was obliged to cordon off the land with a low wall. He was expected to meet all the expenses for placing soil on the land and he could not dry his clothes in the yard.

There are 11 similar gardens in Wied Noqor, on the outskirts of Luqa, and all the land has been leased in a similar fashion – in fact, all the walls are the same height.

Mr Schembri explained that the wall is actually four courses high, as one should start counting from the first course above the tar layer.

The body of evidence that has created much suspicion is the small paddling pool shown in the photograph. Behind Mr Schembri, who is standing inside his Lilliputian swimming pool, is the other part of the yard from which it has been alleged that he has removed the soil and starting digging the foundations for a swimming pool.

Mr Schembri said the yard did not have any soil in it, just earth, and he was intent on creating a small garden. In fact, some four newly-planted trees are already in place awaiting soil. However, he cannot bring in the soil because the Lands Department has now issued a prohibitory injunction against further development and started procedures to terminate the lease.

Mr Schembri is now a very worried man as he said the injunction might land him in an expensive court case that will prevent him from enjoying his leased property.

Asked how he had managed to end up in this mess, Mr Schembri said most probably it was an annoying and envious neighbour who had decided to pick on him.

“I cannot think of any other reason, as other residents living on the ground floor of neighbouring blocks have similar yards, leased to them with the same conditions I have and all have carried out similar work. Their boundary walls are of the same height as well. Most people did the work before I did, over the past 20 years. It seems I have been the unlucky one.”