PN MP Jason Azzopardi this morning filed libel proceedings against Justice Minister Owen Bonnici over comments related to the sale of the transfer of the former Löwenbräu property in Qormi.

Dr Bonnici has claimed that Dr Bonnici had met businessman Zaren Vassallo and that the businessman had been promised a compromise. Mr Vassallo has vehemently denied these claims.

The libel proceedings, filed by lawyer Joseph Zammit Maempel, refer to the comments passed by Dr Bonnici on Saturday. Dr Azzopardi said the Justice Minister was relying on an affidavit by an unnamed person, in which untrue claims were being made.

The claims made in the affidavit, Dr Azzopardi argued, had not even reached the National Audit Office, which has been looking into the case for the past two years.

The way in which the minister was quoting from this affidavit after the publication of the NAO report was “strange and sinister.” This meant that there was a situation where a government minister was claiming to have an affidavit with which to slander a member of the Opposition. Dr Azzopardi said this was a serious issue and asked the court to appoint the case in an expedited manner.  

Dr Azzopardi has maintained his innocence and has told The Malta Independent that changes in the requirements for the Qormi property, altering the very nature and value of the land in question, was done so without the knowledge of the then Commissioner for Lands and former Parliamentary Secretary for Lands.