Yes, Helena Dalli did indeed declare ownership of that contentious Zejtun building

Published: November 17, 2014 at 8:09am

zejtun property helena dalli

Helena Dalli declaration of assets

Helena Dalli

The Zejtun building on which illegal works are allegedly being carried out (I won’t go into the details of the works themselves, their legality or otherwise, as I don’t know enough) is not owned by “Helena Dalli’s husband” as asserted repeatedly by the Opposition and the press.

It is owned by Helena Dalli herself or, depending on the functioning of the community of acquisition in marriage, by Helena Dalli and her husband Patrick.

In the public declaration of assets required of cabinet ministers, Mrs Dalli last year and again this year declared a 99% shareholding in Pada Builders Ltd. The Zejtun house is owned by that company, and not by either Patrick Dalli or Helena Dalli in their personal capacity. Ownership of the company which owns the property means ownership of the property itself.

This “Helena Dalli’s husband” business is any case quite pointless distancing. Even if the property were in her husband’s personal name, which it is not, unless they have separate estates at law or he inherited that property, it would be half-owned by the minister herself because they are married under Maltese law.

Mrs Dalli had no need to declare that Zejtun house separately in her declaration of assets. The asset belongs to Paba Builders Ltd, and she declared ownership of Pada Builders Ltd.

The Zejtun house belongs to her through a company she owns with her husband.




22 Comments Comment

  1. ChrisM says:

    So in this case, since she declared in her assets that she owns the company which in turn owns the house am I correct in believing that there was no need to declare the house on its own as one of her assets?

  2. curious says:

    As far as I know, the government of Malta should do its own homework and research about the companies and consortiums it deals with. It is not enough to have said consortiums and companies giving ‘assurances’. But that was good for PN administrations and not now.

    It is like asking a murderer if he is guilty or not. Dan Konrad Mizzi b’min irid………?

    “The government was given the necessary assurances by Electrogas that the consortium is financially sound and has met all the required criteria, Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi said.”

    http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2014-11-17/local-news/Minister-Konrad-Mizzi-insists-all-Electrogas-consortium-members-are-financially-sound-6736125813

  3. marks says:

    The recent ODZ applications of the three hotels in Xghajra and Marsascala are situated on land belonging to the late Bamboccu of ‘Ghana’ fame. I believe that Minister Helena Dalli is his niece. I smell a rat.

  4. Vespa says:

    Once again the Opposition shows its inability to get the right message across. What a pity.

  5. Tabatha White says:

    As long as they appear to be on “Equal Footing”… how they get there seems to be irrelevant.

    Another lying Labour nutter.

    How many others like her?

    Is this their idea of middle class?

    All about how to raise that rung by half: “too clever by half (a social level).”

  6. ken mercieca says:

    Tad-dahq dawn il-purcinelli – imbasta fiz-zmien fl-Oppozizjoni kienu jibku d-dmugh tal-kukkudrill ghax hawn il-faqar.

  7. simca says:

    Come on, Mrs Dalli. Can you not try to be different than the rest and own up to this blatant plunder?

    On second thoughts, I guess than you deem yourself to be different from the lesser mortals who follow rules and laws….just wishful thinking.

  8. The Observer says:

    Joseph Muscat wanted to write history. No doubt, the way things are going, this is the most corrupt and scandalous government in Maltese history. Will they do the decent thing and resign? I forgot, there is no such thing as decency left either.

  9. Kevin says:

    Does anyone within the Labour Party take responsibility for his or her own actions?

  10. Plutarch says:

    The poor Dallis seem to have fared quite badly under PN governments, just like Bronka and his Qala property. Msieken.

  11. A V says:

    So that means that no one will know what properties the Minister possesses at first glance.

  12. xifajk says:

    – muscat tweet- note spelling of optimism

    MaltaBudget will be based on our #optimisim and that of hardworking families -JM

    • Josette says:

      Basing the national budget on “optimisim” does not really say much on those drawing it up. A budget should be based on reality.

  13. Angus Black says:

    In whose name were the enforcement orders issued?

    Were they issued to Dalli or to Pada Builders Ltd? If issued to Dalli, were they valid and enforceable?

    If Ministers are required to list interest in companies expressed as a meaningless percentage of ownership, why is it not a requirement that the company’s financial statements form part of the Minister’s declaration of assets?

    Had that been the case, then the value of the Minister’s share could have been financially quantified.

  14. Gaetano Pace says:

    Apparently her public dialogue did not go beyond the clan of the masons, labourers, plasterers, electricians, plumbers, woodworkers, aluminum fitters and brick factories. It takes an effort to deal with all of them at once, let alone the public.

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