From Mr J. Pace

I, Joe Pace, director of Brittania Catering Co, am sending you this information so that you will know the true story of how the Magic Kiosk came to be in the company’s hands.

In 1974, Bonello’s kiosk and another kiosk that was next to it, were put on offer and I came to know of this through the government newspaper. I therefore placed an offer on both kiosks. One thousand, five hundred (Lm1,500) for Bonello’s and one thousand two hundred and fifty (Lm1,250) for Eros kiosk. When these were encroachment they used to pay Lm30 for Bonello’s kiosk per year and Lm20 for Eros kiosk per year.

The tender for Bonello’s kiosk was won by Brittania Catering and the one for Eros kiosk was won by Anthony Deguara and Sons. The contract for Brittania Catering was Lm1,500 per year, with a 10 per cent increase every five years. Twenty full timers and part timers were employed. In 1997, Anthony Deguara & Sons wanted to give up their concession and requested from us Lm30,000. Soon after the Maltese government therefore put it out again on offer and this time it was won by Brittania Catering (Lm1,500). It also had to employ 20 full timers and four part-timers and was to spend Lm30,000 in construction and new machinery.

What I am telling you can be checked by you, the reader, at the Lands Department because the newspapers report only what is on the facade. The Labour government of the time never gave us anything for nothing or as a gift. On the contrary, we did a favour to the government because we employed 40 people and invested Lm300,000 in the area. Eros kiosk never employed anyone and Bonello’s kiosk had a 14-year-old boy working there who was paid 50c per week and worked 12-hour shifts everyday. This particular boy stayed on to work with us for 33 years.

The piazza was never a garden and all there was, was an old cinema called The Majestic, which was full of rats, and young Slimizi injecting themselves with drugs in the late hours of the night.

If you really want to know and see for yourselves that the politicians have a personal grudge against us, come to the hearing being held on Wednesday 21 January in front of Mr Justice Geoffrey Valencia and view the case that Brittania Catering Co. et has against the director of the Lands Department.

Joe Pace

Brittania Catering Co