The first annual internal audit within the Lands Authority will be published this Monday after it is present to Parliament, Minister for Transport and Planning Ian Borg announced today. 

The Lands Authority was set-up out of the Lands Department, to grant the authority more autonomy. The Department, back in 2015, was scarred by the Gaffarena property deal scandal, which eventually led to the resignation of Michael Falzon as Parliamentary Secretary for Lands.

The office, which begun last October, is headed by Charlene Muscat, and has carried out six investigations so far. Of the six report, four came from the Lands Board, one from the CEO, and one from a member of the public.

Speaking at a press conference in Valletta, Borg said that the Authority now has its own internal auditing structure to ensure greater responsibility and transparency, insisting that while the new system may be criticised for being too bureaucratic, this was essential to ensure that government and public property was protected.

He also said that the reform means past mistakes will not repeat themselves.

“As we have seen in the public accounts committee too often did a parliamentary secretary or someone else approve land transfers, now we have a board made of 10 people scrutinising each application, with an auditor and other internal structures who analyses it,” he said.

Land Authority chairman former judge Lino Farrugia Sacco echoed this, saying that the board met at least once a week to discuss the application.