The Malta Tourism Authority did not grant a hotel license for the already-built hotel in Mellieha, whose permit was recently revoked by a judge, Tourism Clayton Bartolo said.

Bartolo said this in response to a parliamentary question put forward by PL MP Cressida Galea, who asked whether the hotel was granted a license by the MTA.

Bartolo answered a PL MP's question, although the MTA would not answer The Shift News's question, which was asking whether the MTA granted a hotel license.

In addition, during parliamentary question time last week, PN MPs Rebekah Borg and Robert Cutajar were grilling Bartolo about his position on the court's ruling, however, Bartolo could only respond by telling the PN MPs that he did not know where the hotel was located.

Cutajar mentioned how Bartolo drives by the hotel every day and also pointed out that Bartolo was on the Planning Authority board as a government representative who voted in favour of the project at the time.

The land of the hotel used to be used for the service of the Mellieha's community, however, after the 2013 general election, the government seized the land and issued a tender. Cutajar had informed The Malta Independent on Sunday that, at the time the Mellieha local council did not utter a word in protest of this. At the time the deputy mayor of Mellieha was Bartolo.

During the same parliamentary question time on Monday, Borg took to Facebook and released a video showing that Bartolo, who forgot to turn off his microphone, commented that he "can't stand" Borg, who had just stood up to press Bartolo with a supplementary parliamentary question.

The project is being led by Portelli's business partner Mark Agius on behalf of Shopwise Developments M Limited.

The site is at Triq Halq ic-Cawl c/w Triq L-Izbark tal-Francizi c/w Triq in-Nases c/w Triq Il-Fortizza, Mellieha. The total site area is 3,680 square metres. The application read: "Proposed construction of mixed-use complex, comprising a hotel including amenities, retail shops, 120 residential units with underlying basements for vehicle garaging."

The Court of Appeal, on 10 May, upheld the application filed by the Mellieha Local Council and revoked part of the planning permit for the development of an eight-storey hotel, which is linked to Gozitan construction magnate Joseph Portelli. The hotel, in the meantime, has been built.

In the court's judgment, it said that it was "a fact" that the local plan did not include the possibility of a hotel being built in that area unless there were "overriding reasons" for the permit to be granted and as long as there was no "cumulative adverse impact on the locality".