Opposition Leader Simon Busuttil must take action against Nationalist Party MP Toni Bezzina and the alleged fraud which took place for the Outside Development Zone (ODZ) villa application, Tourism Minister Edward Zammit Lewis said today.

Dr Zammit Lewis noted that the case has become more serious, but despite the test before Dr Busuttil he is convinced that the Opposition Leader will fail to take action.

He stressed that this case proves Mr Bezzina’s hypocrisy, when on the one hand he penned the PN’s environment document, while on the other he applied, under his wife’s name, to build a villa on ODZ land in Mdina.

Dr Zammit Lewis then pointed out how Dr Busuttil, while speaking on a PBS current affairs programme, said that Mr Bezzina’s was legal and regular, according to current policies. The Tourism Minister raised serious doubts about Dr Busuttil’s claims, adding that he had defended Mr Bezzina “in full force”, meaning that he is no longer credible when discussing environmental issues. He also called the Opposition Leader “weak” for failing to take action in the first two weeks that the ODZ application story originally featured.

Labour Party MP Clifton Grima took umbrage at the “deceptive” application, as described by Din l-Art Helwa – an environment NGO, for not being forthcoming in the specifics of the development in order for the application to be included.

The original story appeared in the Kulhadd newspaper, read that MP Bezzina applied to build a villa which includes a swimming pool for him and his family at the Rabat site which is on ODZ land. The newspaper report says that the development would have consisted of three bedrooms, washrooms, bathrooms, a kitchen etc. The MP said in his statement that most of the Kulhadd story is not true, and that there was no application filed by his wife to construct a villa. 

In a statement, Toni Bezzina said he will be filing for libel.

Mr Bezzina said he will show how the Labour Party is lying about him.