Compensation amounting to almost €1 million ordered by the court to be paid to the owners of a Birzebbuga property, which housed a PL club, must be paid by the Labour party and not the Maltese taxpayer, the PN said.
The owners of a Birżebbuġa property housing the PL club were awarded almost €1 million in damages for having been denied full enjoyment of the property after being 'forced' into agreeing to the lease.
The case concerned property overlooking Pretty Bay, formerly known as The Smiling Prince Hotel and later used as a telephone exchange, together with adjacent property on Triq id-Duluri housing a health centre. Before 1979, the property was placed under a Requisition Order.
PN Spokesperson for Justice Karol Aquilina said that in light of a court judgement which was delivered by the First Hall of the Civil Court (Constitutional Seat) in the case regarding the PL club, the compensation must be paid by the PL itself, and not by the Maltese taxpayer.
It said that it is unacceptable for the Labour party to have "stolen private property" and make it its own for more than 40 years, adding that this is in serious violation of Maltese citizens' rights.
The PN said that this abuse took place during a PL government, and it has not taken responsibility for its 'abusive behaviour' so far.
"The Labour party must assume responsibility for the abuse it committed and pay the compensation of almost €1 million from its own pocket, rather than stealing it from the pockets of the Maltese and Gozitan citizens," it said.
The PN said that taxes paid by citizens must be used responsibly and not make up for the abuses committed by the PL. the PN warned that if this compensation is paid by government, then another injustice would have been done to the taxpayer.
The payment of compensation by government would also amount to illegal funding to the Labour party, it said.
The citizen should not pay for government’s abuse, Repubblika says
Government must not allow Maltese people to having to pay the €1 million compensation for the abuse committed by government to serve the interests of a political party, NGO Repubblika has said.
“We believe that this compensation should be paid either personally by the person who committed the abuse or by the Labour party which enjoyed a political club in a prominent place in Birżebbuġa for 42 years,” the NGO said, in a separate statement.
The NGO said that if the people had to pay for this compensation through their taxes, it would be a great insult to democracy by the same people who were chosen into government to defend the interests of the public. It said that this violates human rights.
“This serious case is one out of a series of abuses by politicians where they use their resources and power for private interest. These vary from using public funds to make advertisements for themselves, to such situations involving millions of euros,” Repubblika said.