Opposition Leader Alex Borg has called for the "immediate resignation" of Affordable Housing Minister Roderick Galdes, or, failing that, for Prime Minister Robert Abela to dismiss the minister, following allegations linked to Malita Plc and a controversial property purchase in Gozo which the Minister paid €140,000 for.
In a press conference on Wednesday, Borg said the first issue relates to claims made publicly by former Malita Investments chairperson and former Labour MEP Marlene Mizzi.
In a recent social media post, Mizzi claimed that her 2024 removal from the chairmanship of Malita Investments Plc occurred shortly after she confronted Galdes in a meeting over what she described as improper interference in the company's affairs and overly familiar relationships with its contractors.
Borg quoted her statement, saying that the allegations suggested inappropriate interference, and said that shortly after Mizzi's departure, her successor Johan Farrugia also resigned.
"To this day we do not know why the chairperson who replaced her resigned, nor the reasons behind these events. These are questions the Maltese and Gozitan public are asking. Why did these resignations happen? Why is Mizzi alleging Galdes' familiarity with contractors? These are serious and shocking revelations, and if Minister Galdes does not respond, the Prime Minister must," Borg said.
The second issue Borg raised was Galdes' purchase of a Gozo duplex penthouse from a company that was awarded €27 million in Housing Authority contracts, he said.
Borg said Galdes has claimed the price was agreed to verbatim in 2021, but that the actual deed was signed this year, with the promise of sale agreement signed in 2024 - the same period in which the company was awarded the €27 million contract for more than 100 apartments by the Housing Authority.
Borg said that the €140,000 price paid by Galdes for a duplex penthouse, with airspace, jacuzzi and a garage "does not reflect reality".
He cited a KPMG valuation from last year estimating that a penthouse's market price stood at over half a million euro.
"If young people and families trying to buy their first home look at this situation, they will never believe that such a bargain exists in today's market," Borg said.
"Everyone knows property prices. First-time buyers know, and they know they will certainly not find a duplex penthouse with a garage, airspace and jacuzzi for €140,000," Borg said.
He said that the combination of the allegations surrounding Malita Investments and the property deal showed "a clear lack of good governance and transparency within the Labour government."
"For these reasons, we are demanding the resignation of Minister Roderick Galdes, and if he does not resign, then the Prime Minister must take the necessary steps, until, and if, the Minister clears his name," Borg said.
PL statement
In reaction, the PL said that "it remains clear and evident that everything remains the same in the Nationalist Party. Alex Borg follows the negative playbook of those who came before him - Simon Busuttil, Adrian Delia and Bernard Grech. The face has changed, but not the attitude."