Mark Gaffarena admits to allowing a drug-dealer to use his abusively-obtained Handaq land and illegal restaurant for free

Mark Gaffarena has admitted under oath in court to allowing Antoine Azzopardi known as Ic-Cavett, a drug dealer, to use nine tumoli of land at Tal-Handaq Industrial Estate as a restaurant and entertainment venue called Cavett Place.

Gaffarena also admitted to having built the restaurant structure (there is also a swimming-pool) and said that he does not charge Azzopardi any rent but allows him to use it free of charge. Azzopardi had approached him for help, he said, after “the authorities picked on him and kicked him out” of a place he was using at Mtarfa.

Azzopardi was arrested in 2008 on charges of dealing in cocaine and cannabis. He was held on remand and his assets were frozen by order of the court. He was a school minibus driver at the time. Nothing more has been reported on the case and Azzopardi is now freely out and about, presumably still on bail seven years later, and promoting events at Cavett Place through his operation called Pink Promotions.

His defence counsel was Arthur Azzopardi of the law firm Emmanuel Mallia & Associates.

Gaffarena obtained the extensive land at Tal-Handaq by first occupying it illegally, then building an illegal swimming-pool and restaurant structure, and then, earlier this year, abusively obtaining the title to it from the Lands Department in part-exchange – along with several other pieces of real estate of his choice – for just part of a house in Old Mint Street, Valletta, which is now the subject of an inquiry.