Shadow Minister Jason Azzopardi today refused to answer questions surrounding the sale of the transfer of the former Löwenbräu property in Qormi, telling journalists at a press conference to “find out when the case goes to court”.

"All questions about the case from A to Z can be asked in court, and I look forward to the truth coming out," he said. "I didn't just file for libel, but took the rare step of requesting that the case be heard urgently. I hope Bonnici accepts my request.” 

This morning Dr Azzopardi filed libel proceedings against Justice Minister Owen Bonnici over comments related to the sale.

Dr Bonnici has claimed that Dr Azzopardi had met businessman Zaren Vassallo, from Vassallo Ltd, and that the land had been taken over at a much lower cost than its real value. Mr Vassallo has vehemently denied these claims.

Dr Azzopardi also had to dodge claims that a donation which Mr Vassallo gave to Nationalist Party only a month after the sale, were in any way related. 

When today he was pressed on his statements regarding Michael Falzon during the Gaffarena scandal, when he insisted that Mr Falzon should shoulder political responsibility on that transfer of land, Dr Azzopardi said that the two cases are completely unrelated. 

A National Audit Office report highlighted serious shortcomings in a 2012 land transfer deal.

The transfer of land happened under Dr Azzopardi’s watch when he was minister responsible for lands.

The site in question is the former Löwenbräu brewery, which opened in 1990.  Jumping ahead to 2009, Löwenbräu redeemed the ground rent for €465,875 while the government had agreed to cancel the conditions attached to the site, mainly that it was to be used for the production of alcohol.

The Lands Commissioner took issue with this and found a breach in the protocol as laid out by law, and sent a letter to Zaren Vassallo, who had been attempting to buy the land from Löwenbräu.

Dr Bonnici claimed that upon receiving the letter, Mr Vassallo went straight to then minister Jason Azzopardi, where he was told a compromise would be reached. Both Dr Azzopardi and Mr Vassallo denied these claims.

In the end, a contract of exchange was signed with the value of the land set at €706,400, based on estimates dating back to 1990, Dr Bonnici said, calling it a “mediocre estimate”.

He continued to say that the correct valuation in 2012 was that of €8 million. The NAO report had stipulated that Dr Azzopardi “shoulders an element of responsibility for the serious shortcomings.

When today he was asked whether or not he would resign should the legal proceedings find that he has to shoulder some political responsibility, Dr Azzopardi refrained from answering.