As many as three Labour MPs may benefit from the government’s proposed extension of the development zones, which the Labour Party is making such a big fuss about.

Although known to this newspaper, it will not be the one to divulge the names of the three MPs as this is their private property. Nor is there any reason to believe there was anything wrong with their acquiring the land, or in the proposed changes involving them in any way.

As Labour leader Alfred Sant told PN media last week, if they acquire the right to build on their property that means they are within their rights.

Still, this fact sits badly with the campaign being waged by the Labour leadership, which maintains that the government initiative reeks of corruption.

Meanwhile, independent investigation of Labour claims of corruption by this newspaper has shown they were based, at best, on wrong or incomplete information. Obviously, this does not mean there should be an end to vigilance or there is no possibility of any corruption in anything regarding Malta’s national gold: land.

The Labour media have claimed corruption in three principal cases.

Ninu Zammit’s home.

The facts: Mr Zammit obtained his permit under the pre-1987 Labour government according to the rules then used. His was the very last permit signed by the Labour government and he had to wait until the post-election victory carcade to collect it and start building.

Mr Zammit has been living there since. The owners of neighbouring plots on either side of him, however, did not get any such permission (and they kept blaming Mr Zammit for this).

The proposed change allows this pocket of inconsistency to be addressed. Mr Zammit will gain nothing from it, except neighbours on either side of him.

Beppe Fenech Adami’s villa

Beppe Fenech Adami, elder son of President Fenech Adami, lives in a villa with grounds in Gharghur.

The facts: The villa forms part of a small block of buildings that were inside the building zone pre-1987 but excluded by the Temporary Building Zone post 1988. The houses were still built. They were also proposed to be included in the published draft Central Malta local plan.

Dr Fenech Adami bought the house and its lands when the house was already built: i.e. he had no say when it was allowed to be built.

The proposed change acknowledges the fact they were built but Dr Fenech Adami’s vast garden at the back is still out of the development zone.

Ic-Caqnu’s land in St Paul’s Bay

Maltastar.com has alleged that mega-contractor Charles Polidano, Ic-Caqnu, will have his Outside Development Zone holding at Xemxija included in the proposed ODZ adjustment. This is especially galling considering that the contractor was allegedly carrying out illegal excavation works on the St Paul’s Bay Bypass, which collapsed as a result.

The facts: Only the northern part of Mr Polidano’s holding is being included in the ODZ adjustment, but not the part where he was excavating illegally. The government-commissioned inquiry board’s recommendation to order Mr Polidano to restore the land he excavated illegally to its original state, still stands.

It is not easy to find out who the owners of plots of land are, not even how many owners there are, because one plot may be owned by a number of people and one person may own more than one plot. Moreover, many times an application to build on a plot of land is submitted by the architect, and the name of the owner would not be known.

It is consequently difficult to discover how many MPs or public figures own plots which may benefit from the change. This is also why the information on MLP MPs owning land, apart from privacy considerations, is not being given. It is however known that one of the MPs said to own land that may benefit has been continually asking to be given details about the land being released.

In a statement issued late on Friday, Labour leader Alfred Sant said that notwithstanding being sued for libel by the Cabinet, he intends to continue condemning what the government wants to do “barefacedly” with the land of the people of Malta “which is going to be sold cheap and raped for the benefit of the barons and the friends of friends of the PN regime”.