The controversy surrounding the Fortina site is being described by ADPD-The Green Party as another case of concealment and poor governance, allegedly coordinated from the Prime Minister's Office to benefit a select few close to power.

At the centre lies the suppression of land valuation reports and the transformation of public land, originally earmarked for tourism, into property speculation ventures - a pattern that Maltese citizens have seen before, ADPD said Saturday.

ADPD-The Green Party Chairperson Sandra Gauci accused both past and present administrations of dismantling good governance: "Joseph Muscat and his chief of staff Keith Schembri disregarded it, and Robert Abela does the same by deflecting criticism with partisan attacks. Why were conflicting land valuations hidden instead of being properly assessed?" Gauci questioned.

She stressed that the 2019 parliamentary agreement on Fortina land removed nearly all original conditions, including obligations for tourism use, height limits, landscaping and infrastructural provisions. "Practically all safeguards disappeared, leaving the land open for speculation," she said, calling for  taxpayers' money to be recouped from the Zammit Tabona family, owners of Fortina.

ADPD Secretary General Ralph Cassar added that Parliament itself, misled by concealed reports, approved changes allowing residential and commercial development. He noted that while wages rose by 43% between 2013 and 2023, property prices doubled, leaving ordinary families struggling.

The party recalled other examples where public land was handed over under the guise of tourism or technology projects but ultimately became property speculation: Hilton and Portomaso, the former ITS site, Manoel Island, Tigné Point, Fort Cambridge, and Smart City.

"Public land is a precious resource. Speculation isn't real investment - it harms society, inflates housing prices, and diverts money away from workers and innovation into dead assets. History is repeating itself," Cassar concluded.