This Latin proverb is extremely appropriate to define what is happening at the Department of Lands under this current administration. In English, this proverb can be translated as one hell summons another or one bad thing follow sanother and as we say it in Maltese “Il-ħazin,ħazin iġib”. The scandal involving Mark Gaffarena has raised many questions, some of which are being answered, but there are still many left unanswered.

The Parliamentary Secretary for Lands, Dr. Michael Falzon seems to have taken the cue from my previous blog wherein I demanded the name or names of the architect or architects involved in the estimates of these shady deals.He reacted and stated that“One of the architects involved is a Senior Lecturer and Head of Department at the University of Malta”.  Falzon continued and I quote:  “His expertise started to be used by the department under the previous administration”. This is also true. Amongst other things, the architect in question, whose name was also rendered public,not only carriedout estimates for the Lands Department but was also Gonzi’s protégé at the KNPD: The National Commission for Persons with Disability (KummissjoniNazzjonalighall-Persunib’Disabilita’).

What I find disturbing in this piece of information as published by the MaltaIndependent is that“In the signed document, the Parliamentary Secretary made it clear that the Department should proceed only if everything is in conformity with the law”. Such a statement is dismal to say the least.

By such a sttement, Dr.Falzon isdefending the architect by saying that he acted in conformity with the law and nothing illegal has taken place in this case. Estimates are subjective. It is only a question of rendering the property formula equitable to 30% and this is done by manipulating the estimates. In simple words, the architect’s estimates are unlikely to be contested if it emerges that the value of public land given to MrGaffarena are within the 30 per cent of the value of the expropriated land. But about this, I will write in the future.

At this stage, I would like to ask if there is a connection between the choice of this architect and the fact that he is the academic at the Faculty of the Built Environment who teaches Property Estimates at our University!

The estimates in question are so ridiculous that even the public at large is starting to question them. I am sure that the owners sold theirshare at the right value to Gaffarena. Finally, they were selling a share in a property in Valletta from which they could only accrue a miserable annual rent. Therefore, the real market value of that share runs only to few thousands of euros. Who on earth is interested to buy shares of a property on which there is a miserable annual rent, unless, there is a confidential blue print?

Academics are expected to be role models. Now the reputation of our University is at risk. But, unfortunately, it is this type of individuals that carry clout at UOM.

We have filled Malta with too many monuments of politicians who during their life time were accused of being highly corrupt and who never came clean but relied on their “power” and steam-rolled over decency and honour. What role models are we leaving behind for the up and coming generation? After the judiciary, lecturers are next in line to losing their credibility and reputation.

This brings me to ask:  Why was Dr Jason Azzopardi so keen to protect the architect’s identity? Each time, he spoke about fraudulent estimates, he emphasized that these estimates were undertakenby the Government.Interestingly Government is to blame and held accountable but the external consultant is not. Why? I hope that this is not the reason, why certain individuals succeedin finding protection from both political parties. Incidentally, both Azzopardi and Falzon are clearly agreeing on one point: to protect this architect.

It is fact that the architect gave Labour and the Nationalists good service. Architect Joseph Spiteridefinitely helped Labour win the elections. Similarly he made the life of common mortals hell while architect of KNPD. (Kummissjoni Nazzjonali B’Persuni b’Disabilita). Despite his irrational decisions, which made people suffer, he still found support and protection at Castile from the Nationalists.

I wish to ask how architect Spiteri was engaged with the Lands Department during the previous administration? Was there a public call or was he directly appointed by the PN Government to carry out estimates on behalf of the Lands’ Department?If the PN wants to win the next election, it has to come clean and make it clear that theParty is not going to protect sacred cowsshouldthe electorate decide to return itto power.

All in all, the political choices made by Muscat are now returning to haunt him. In the attempt to savehis office, he will be taking drastic decisions and perhaps, a number of innocent individuals will remain without a job. Clint Scerri will be an easy scapegoat. He did what he did because he is still, as we say in Maltese, “moħħu fuq il-werqa”.He is being described as a sort of king when his only apparent  guilt isrelated to the ferrying of files from Castile to the Baviera.The problem for Muscat now is that even diehards Labourites are furious, and rightly so.They are realizing that their votes have ended up supporting the corrupt. These scandals have started the process that is slowly channellingLabour towards a defeat.

This will explain the drastic measures that we will be witnessing where heads will roll. Though still mid-year, 2015 will be remembered for a series of mistakes government has made. But the PN turncoats or acolytes are the real problem of this Government, in the same way they were a problem for Gonzipn.