Economy Minister Chris Cardona called on the Nationalist Party (PN) to take action against shadow minister for justice Jason Azzopardi over the numerous condemnations he has received from the National Audit Office or be considered a party of double standards.
He was addressing a press conference together with former Labour Party (PL) president Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi.
Cardona was making reference to the most recent NAO report which found serious shortcomings in the sale of a St Julian’s property valued at €2.4 million for just €525,000.
A lack of supporting documentation during internal meetings when key decisions were made meant that the NAO could not ascertain the degree of ministerial involvement. It does note a lack of evidence regarding political pressure which was claimed to have been exerted by then minister Jason Azzopardi. The report however raised suspicions on the degree of his involvement with regards the decision to go ahead with the less financially advantageous sale of the property instead of imposing a permanent emphyteusis.
Cardona said that this was a “serious shortcoming from a good governance perspective, by a person [Jason Azzopardi] who tries to give political lessons to others on transparency. He should shoulder political responsibility”.
The economy minister stressed that this is not the first case that involves Azzopardi, and made reference the Lowenbrau case.
The case revolved around the Löwenbräu brewery and dates back to 1990, when the land was allocated to the brewery company on a perpetual basis. Jumping ahead to 2009, Löwenbräu redeemed the ground rent for €465,875 while the government had agreed to cancel the conditions attached to the site, mainly that it was to be used for the production of alcohol.
The Lands Commissioner took issue with this and found a breach in the protocol as laid out by law, and sent a letter to Zaren Vassallo, from Vassallo Ltd who had been attempting to buy the land from Löwenbräu. The government accuses Azzopardi of meeting with Vassallo regarding the removal of the conditions attached to the site, which saw its value jump significantly. Azzopardi contests this, saying he was not the minister responsible at the time, and Vassallo had claimed to meet with the minister responsible.
Cardona also made reference to certain shortcomings in the 2012 sale of HSBC Valletta, where Azzopardi again denies wrongdoing.
“He is the minister who has been condemned the most by the National Audit Office.”
The Minister concluded by saying that the PN should practice what it preaches and take action.
Minister Cardona is turning the Auditor General report on its head – PN
Deputy Leader of the PL Chris Cardona is spinning facts that were reported in the Auditor General report in order to attack Azzopardi personally, the PN said in reaction to today’s press conference.
The statement, signed by Azzopardi himself, said that the report confirmed that there was no political interference, neither in the expropriation of Fekruna Bay nor with the expropriation of the St Julian’s property.
The report stated that a lack of documentation meant that it was difficult for the National Audit Office to determine the level of ministerial involvement when the decision was taken to sell the land rather than impose a permanent emphyteusis.
Azzopardi wrote that Cardona should analyse the contents of NAO reports rather than spin facts, where it speaks of political interference regarding the sale of oil and the Gaffarena scandal by his own colleagues.
Turning back to the report in question, Azzopardi wrote that the expropriations were carried out in the interest of the public, and that politicians never met with the owners of the land in question.