The tract of land in Zonqor near Marsascala should never have been taken from the public and given to the American University of Malta by the Labour government, the Nationalist Party said in a statement.

The statement came in response to the government signing a new contract to give Sadeen Group, the owners of AUM, land in Smart City and in Cottonera in exchange for them losing the title of the land in Zonqor.

The PN said that it has always worked so that this land remains exclusively for public use, and that it had always opposed the granting of this land to a project which has been a failure since its start.

When the land could have been taken without being compensated with other land, the PN said that it can never be in favour of actions which pander to those who do not fulfil their obligations.

The statement was signed by MPs Rebekah Cilia and Darren Carabott, who sit on the Parliamentary committee responsible for verifying such deals.