Comments on: How Joe Pace got his kiosk

By: Antoine Vella

Antoine Vella — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 17:53:05 +0000

dorianne spiteri

Which “famous building of apartments” are you referring to? The flats in Argotti/V.Bugeja Str are a private venture, those in Lion corner with Argotti Str belong to the Housing Department. You don’t need any “profound research” to find out; all you have to do is check the MEPA webserver at http://mapserver.mepa.org.mt/malta_geoinfo/neapoljs.htm?Skin%3DneuSkin+Lang%3DENGLISH+Resolution%3Dbig+. It’s better than listening to rumours.

By: dorianne spiteri

dorianne spiteri — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 15:08:54 +0000

I would like to read a similar article with the same attention and profound research about the famous building of apartments behind Curia in Floriana. After being abandoned for many years with all construction vehicles left on the streets around, now rumours are saying that tax payers will have to pay for all the faults left behind by the contractor.Can you please provide us with more information and some background of the said contractor.Thanks.

[Daphne – I have no idea who is involved, so if anybody knows, please post it here.]

By: Amanda Mallia

Amanda Mallia — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 20:08:12 +0000

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20090115/local/magic-kiosk-employees-vent-anger-at-owner

By: me

me — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 06:45:21 +0000

@Gerald
“And on the Bonello note (as if people aren’t losing their jobs every day these days) – if someone had a lease agreement with the government and it was decided that this was to be terminated, is that so wrong?”

It works both ways shouldn’t it?

By: edgar rossignaud

edgar rossignaud — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 20:05:20 +0000

@Gerald. I drove purposely to the Strand this weekend to make sure the Magic Kiosk wasn’t there. As a young boy then frequenting the nearby St.Joseph Convent, I have vivid memories of what this kiosk represented; it was a focal point for the people of Sliema. I have even stronger memories of the rampant corruption and abuse of power of the Labour ministers and their front-men. When I had moved house and asked for the simple transfer of the telephone line, I received a phone call after two months from Patrick Holland’s office, informing me that the minister ‘ghandu pjacir jaccetta t-talba tieghek’, and was asked to go to his office to thank him. I refused outright, and my line only came months later when a new chairman, who happened to know me, was appointed. It is a pity that people under 40 (you must be one of them), cannot even being to comprehend the vile atmosphere that we, who were not ‘laburisti’, had to live in and in which to bring up our family.
@Daphne. Please keep on researching for your readers those nasty dark ages which were abusively controlled by the Labour oligarchy, lest we forget. Would be worth delving into how some of the richest persons in Malta, now flaunting their ego liberally, built up their riches in the early eighties, on fruits of corruption and collusion with corrupt ministers.

By: Gerald

Gerald — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 16:43:32 +0000

As regards to your comment that the government didn’t knock it down in one day it goes to show you how efficient these dear old workers from the Government Property Division are :)

By: Gerald

Gerald — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 16:42:18 +0000

Whilst not condoning Patrick Holland’s corrupt practices I believe there are some parallels going on today although not so in your face as they were in those days. Another thing – why did the fact that your family was ‘well-connected’ make any difference to what was going on – how were you in the know?
The God Almighty fuss being thrown up on St Anne Square also amuses me. Actually my paternal grandparents used to live just up the road from the infamous ‘Magic Kiosk’ so whilst not being from Milner Street or the more ‘poshy’ areas of Sliema, I actually grew up quite close to the kiosk which always seemed quite ok to me.

St Anne’s Square is actually a polluted dump which receives car exhaust from all sides and it is smack right into one of the most densely built areas in Sliema so doing it up is not going to save it much either.
And on the Bonello note (as if people aren’t losing their jobs every day these days) – if someone had a lease agreement with the government and it was decided that this was to be terminated, is that so wrong? I’m sure we have had many cases were leases have stayed on at ridiculous rates with big companies paying some Lm 50 a month to rent some huge store which is valued at half a million liri in their books. It would be instructive to know how much Bonello used to pay to rent the kiosk in St Anne’s Square.

[Daphne -Because when you’re well connected you know what’s going on. And I don’t mean political networks, either.]

By: Isabelle W.M.

Isabelle W.M. — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 14:56:13 +0000

Thank you for reminding us of the bad years! I was in my prime of youth then: when Labour was elected I was just 13. Many, many bad memories. I did not really recall this story but I remember very well Patrick Holland and how nice (?) he was to our family and what bad times we had to endure because of him and his regime. Thank God those days are over, but sometimes it is good to remember. Re Magic Kiosk – we never went there so we never contributed to Mrs Pace’s diamonds.

By: Gerald

Gerald — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 13:20:41 +0000

How about this for a story Daphne? Mela Jason didn’t check before he went on his demolishing spree?

From: The Times

Court temporarily stops Magic Kiosk removal

A court this morning upheld a request by the owner of the Magic Kiosk to issue a provisional warrant of prohibitory injunction to stop the dismantling of the Magic Kiosk in Sliema. Government workers started removing the kiosk early on Friday morning after the second of two leases on the government land expired. The court ordered the works to stop until a final decision is taken on January 21. Magic Kiosk owner Joe Pace is claiming discrimination.

I’ll have a bit more to say about your article later.

[Daphne – I can’t wait. The shame is that they couldn’t or wouldn’t demolish an aluminium ‘temporary’ structure in a day.]

By: Graham C.

Graham C. — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 12:56:28 +0000

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20090112/local/court-temporarily-stops-magic-kiosk-removal

Wtf