Robert Abela sent the largest ever Maltese business delegation to China to encourage wealthy Chinese to buy property in Malta. It included more than 80 representatives from the property sector. The delegation attended the LPS Shanghai luxury Property exhibition. The Trip was organised by the Property Malta Foundation, a public-private partnership whose primary role is to attract property investment to Malta. Yet Robert Abela denied that his massive delegation to China was about getting wealthy Chinese to buy property in Malta.

Abela faced considerable flak when local media published details about that 80-strong delegation led by our very own justice and construction minister Jonathan Attard. Faced with a crisis in property affordability for the younger generations, Minister Attard was telling attendees at the Luxury property exhibition that "Malta is open for business". Of course people were angry.  When our young people struggle to buy the tiniest of apartments why was our Labour government sending its minister and the biggest foreign delegation ever to get wealthy Chinese investors to buy property in Malta?

Robert Abela peddled back furiously when the optics of a government of the workers' party hawking Maltese property to Chinese hit hard. He tried to imply that the delegation wasn't about property at all - "The aim of this delegation was to attract quality investment - not necessarily in the construction sector".  So why send former MDA president Sandro Chetcuti and current president Michael Stivala and another 78 representatives from the property sector?  Jonathan Attard's key note speech on that visit to China was to a "discerning audience of Chinese luxury home buyers". Minister Attard told those Chinese home buyers at that property expo that Malta has "advantages for investors seeking both financial and personal return" pointing to statistics that showed property and construction accounted for 14% of Malta's Gross Value Added.

Minister Attard told that luxury property exhibition that Malta's property sector is "a driver for innovation, sustainability and improved quality of life". The delegation highlighted the upcoming launch of Malta's Property Price register.  This was all about selling Maltese property to a massive market - China - and nothing else, no matter how loud Robert Abela protests.

While Jonathan Attard told those Chinese home-buyers that "Malta is open for business", Robert Abela tried to fudge his Minister's China faux pas by insisting that "a foreigner can't just come to Malta and buy properties as they please". Of course not.  But the key issues are that Chinese investors can buy property in Malta and Robert Abela's priority was to send his Justice and Construction Minister all the way to China with an 80-strong delegation to hawk our land and property.

Abela protested that foreigners need to obtain a permit before buying property. That's not the case for at least 26 locations in Malta and Gozo.  In these so-called "Special designated zones" the law exempts non-residents from any such conditions.  In other areas a purchasing permit is required from the finance minister. But if Robert Abela sent his construction minister on a 14,000km round trip to sell property in Malta, he's not going to balk at getting his finance minister to issue a permit - thousands of permits if necessary.

Robert Abela insisted "there is no risk of foreign buyers driving up property prices". Abela defies even basic economics. If the demand rises rapidly while supply doesn't prices will rise. Malta is tiny.  Shanghai is huge.  So peddling the little Maltese land and property we've got to a massive market will increase demand.  Ironically Abela himself commented that the China trip was a success as "there already is a lot of interest".

Is Robert Abela's Malta special? Many other countries have taken firm steps to prevent foreign investors buying property in order to protect the local population from rising house prices. Instead Abela sends the biggest delegation ever headed by his Justice Minister to sell Maltese property.

But there are more worrying questions surrounding that China delegation.  Why was Labour's former president Ramona Attard on that delegation?  Why was Charlon Gouder there?  Ramona Attard and Charlon Gouder were partners with Jonathan Attard  at their legal firm AGG Advocates. That firm advised clients on sale of Maltese citizenship and residency rights.

Both former partners of the minister denied they formed part of the ministerial delegation.  They insisted they were in Shanghai on an entirely private and commercially driven mission.  They claimed they forked out the costs for their travel and accommodation.

Gouder insisted he was in Shanghai "as a service provider promoting Malta's permanent residency". So Gouder was there helping Chinese become Maltese residents - which means Robert Abela's assurances that "non-residents" "can't just come to Malta and buy properties as they please" sounds rather hollow.

But even more to the point is what was Ramona Attard doing there? This was no mere co-incidence.  In fact the Minister's former legal partners were even present at a reception held at Malta's consulate in Shanghai organised by consul Lisa Azzopardi which the minister also attended.

Gouder now has his own legal practice creatively called Gouder and Associates.  Ramona Attard is not employed by the firm. So why was she in Shanghai? Why was a Labour MP and former party President paying thousands of pounds for her trip to China to accompany a delegation intended to sell Maltese property?

Minister Jonathan Attard refused to give details about the composition of his recent official delegation to Shanghai.  He was also asked to explain why Ramona Attard and Charlon Gouder were in Shanghai with him, but Attard declined to give any information. That's triggered a freedom of information request. Why does Labour withhold even the most basic information from the public?  The names of the members of an official delegation is information that should be immediately available. Nobody should have to ask questions about who was representing us on an official delegation. But everything with Labour is top secret.  Only those with a lot to hide spend so much energy keeping it secret.