The illegally built entertainment venue Mark Gaffarena is squatting in - known as Tac-Cavett in Tal-Handaq, Qormi - was still operating until last Saturday after a Facebook post on its official page shows that the Champions League final between Juventus and Barcelona was screened at the venue.

Contacted to give an explanation, a spokesperson for Mr Gaffarena was adamant that he (Mr Gaffarena) would not comment on the issue.

Tac-Cavett was served with an enforcement notice by MEPA in 2012. The enforcement notice had been served on Mark Gaffarena as the contravener but the venue remained operating illegally. Prior to this, in 2005, he had applied to sanction the construction of an agricultural store and to construct and aviary and to develop two bi-tunnel greenhouses and plant trees. The architect in the original application was Government MP Charles Buhagiar.

The application to sanction the works was later withdrawn at the request of Mr Gaffarena, at which point Mr Buhagiar severed ties with the project. Mr Gaffarena went on to develop much more than what was initially requested, by developing structures and a pool without a Mepa permit.

A number of parties are organised at the venue, along with a day by the pool against a fee.

The controversies involving Mr Gaffarena started off after he purchased shares in a property in Old Mint Street, Valletta after, it is being alleged by the Opposition, he was given inside information beforehand that the property would be expropriated by the government at a later stage.

Mr Gaffarena was named in other deals that the government said it is now investigating. He was given land in Bahar ic-Caghaq and in Sliema which are estimated to cost more than the value estimated by the government.

The latest scandal to have come to light involving Mr Gaffarena is about two pieces of land ‘given’ to him by the government in the limits of Zebbug, behind the Tac-Cavett illegal premises in Qormi. He was also ‘given’ a third plot which is near the illegal venue.

Mr Gaffarena is also one of the owners of the controversial Gaffarena petrol station in Qormi which was given a ‘temporary’ permit to operate in spite of being developed illegally.

This newsroom attempted to contact Mr Gaffarena to hear the side of his story, but the person who answered our call was adamant that Mr Gaffarena has no comment to make and that one can wait for the outcome of the investigations.

When this newsroom insisted that Mr Gaffarena was being given the opportunity to clear his name, our request was turned down once again.