Austin Gatt is on record saying that the “SmartCity project did not cost even one cent to the government”. He said this on television, to Lou Bondi.

Labour MP Michael Farrugia remarked in a statement that Dr Gatt was not telling the truth, because to date SmartCity had already cost the government €14 million. Included in that amount were “€5.9 million in land expropriation.”

Incredibly, ‘minister-of-failures’ Dr Gatt replied through his ministry, that Dr Farrugia’s statement “was evidence that a Labour government would not compensate for expropriated private land”. What utter nonsense.

When issuing that statement, Dr Gatt admitted that he was being very economical with the truth when he had said that “SmartCity had not cost even one cent to the government”. When, as Dr Farrugia correctly pointed out, it has already cost the government €14 million. No wonder Dr Gatt has already decided not to contest the forthcoming general election!

■ Eddy Privitera

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