Government MP Charles Buhagiar yesterday denied having a conflict of interest in the Gaffarena expropriation scandal insisting that he was in no way involved in the government decision to buy a part of the property previously owned by his former client.

The PN has accused Mr Buhagiar of having a triple conflict of interest, being a government MP, the Chairman of the Building Industry Consultative Council (BICC) and Mr Gaffarena’s architect. Contacted by The Malta Independent yesterday, the MP insisted he is no longer Mark Gaffarena’s architect, having stopped representing him some three years ago. “Whoever is making these accusations is misinformed. In order to have a conflict of interest you either have to be one of the people taking the decisions or be in a position to influence that decision. The decision to expropriate Mr Gaffarena’s property and grant him compensation lies solely with the Lands Department. I have nothing to do with the Lands Department and, as such I do not see where this conflict of interest is.”

Reminded that he is the Chairman of the BICC, the council for which the property was expropriated, Mr Buhagiar insisted he was not involved in the purchase of the property. “Secondly, the government is obliged by law to provide the BICC with premises from which to operate. I am not interested in whose property it is. I will work from any place offered by the government.”

Asked if he knew that half of the property belonged to a former client of his, Mr Buhagiar said: “Of course not. I did not know and I had no interest in knowing. As far as I am concerned the Lands Department is the owner. The Lands Department wanted that property.”

When asked how he could have been unaware of Mr Gaffarena’s transactions, seeing that their relationship goes back a number of years, the government MP said the fact that he was Gaffarena’s architect some years ago had nothing to do with this. He said the application filed some years back on the Handaq ‘illegal’ property was probably suspended as the project as applied for never took off. He admitted, however, that he is still the architect for Joe Gaffarena, Mark’s father, who has applied for a permit to build an old people’s home on ODZ land in Vittoriosa. “My client is Joe Gaffarena, not Mark. Just because they share their surname does not make them the same person.”