PN officials who spoke to this newsroom earlier today said that the €250,000 loan that businessman Zaren Vassallo gave to the party has been paid in full in August of last year. The Malta Independent on Sunday quoted unnamed sources within the Nationalist Party who informed the newspaper that only €100,000 of the loan had been paid. But, following the publication of the story, it now transpires that these sources where not updated with the latest financial transactions of the party and that Mr. Vassallo has been paid in full.

The information comes after Labour Party yesterday challenged Opposition leader Simon Busuttil to publish evidence that the loan of €250,000 given to the party by Mr Vassallo has been repaid. Dr. Busuttil is still to take up the challenge to publish evidence that the loan was repaid.

Notary refuses to comment

This newspaper asked Keith German, the notary who according to the Minister signed the contract which saw Vassallo Group buying the land for €465,875, for a comment. Mr German said he did not wish to comment nor give his version of events.

During a press conference held earlier this week, Minister Bonnici claimed that Keith German, a notary who works at the Government Property Division, is under investigation by the Attorney General’s office for his role in the sale of the land where the former Lowenbrau Factory was in Qormi.

Timeline

13 November 1990: PN government gave 21,000 sq. metres of land to Lowenbrau Ltd on condition that the factory is used for the production of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks

30 November 2009: Marsovin Ltd, Agro Ltd and Vassallo Builders sign a preliminary deal for Vassallo Group to acquire all the shares of Lowenbrau Ltd. The agreement states that the ground rent must be redeemed within seven weeks. It also states that the conditions set, including that regarding the production of beverages, is removed.

3 December 2009: The PN government agrees to the terms set in the ground rent agreement and sells the land to Vassallo Builders for €465,875 without issuing a tender or a parliamentary resolution.

20 May 2011: Lands Commissioner sends a letter to LBM Breweries to approach the Commission so that the contract signed in 2009 is terminated.

30 January 2012: A committee made up of three architects valued the land according to values of 1990 at €706,400. (The Labour Party says that this valuation was made after an intervention by Jason Azzopardi.) The Auditor General re-valuates the land at €8 million.

5 June 2012: The government accepts the 1990 land valuation at €706,400

December 2016: The Auditor General published a report stating that “the Minister bears an element of responsibility for this gross misrepresentation of the value of the land”.

*This information was provided in a slide presented by the Labour Party at yesterday’s press conference