A Nadur man whose land was expropriated in order to be converted into a road alleged that the land was turned into a belvedere in order to preserve the breathtaking views overlooking the Gozo Channel enjoyed by Gozo Minister Giovanna Debono’s driver, his brothers and her cousin.

Testifying in court, Minister Debono confirmed the connections she had with the people living in the belvedere’s immediate vicinity; however she explained that Michael Camilleri commenced his employment as her driver in 1995, which is six years after the land was expropriated. She also explained that the land which lies in Cocco Palmieri Street was expropriated by parliament in the Summer of 1989, while Mr Camilleri signed the land purchase contract from the Gozo Curia in September of the same year.

Minister Debono was testifying during the constitutional case filed by Joseph Camilleri, a Malta Labour Party candidate and the son of a former Labour MP, against the Gozo Ministry and the Lands Commissioner.

The minister said the belvedere was built in 2002 and the court issued a prohibitory injunction against the building of the belvedere in 2003. The site at the time was being developed by the Nadur Local council. Minister Debono said that the project was conducted as a joint venture between the Gozo Ministry and the Nadur council, where the ministry provided the workforce while the council paid for the work.

The belvedere was completed in 2003, while the injunction was enforced against the council but not the ministry. When asked how the ministry got involved in the project, she replied that the ministry often works closely with local councils and that the project fell within the ministry’s Works Division. However, she was not able to state how did the division get involved and was asked by the presiding judge, Mr Justice Joseph R. Camilleri to produce documents that show the division’s involvement in the proceedings.

Dr Reno Borg appeared for Mr Camilleri.