The Seabank Group ‘twin towers’ scandal: another of Konrad Mizzi’s fixed deals

Published: May 17, 2016 at 5:28pm

The Sunday Times reported two days ago that the site which the government has given to Silvio Debono of the Seabank Group, ostensibly for the construction of a Hardrock Hotel, will instead be used for the development of two towers of flats.

The newspaper also reported that estate agents are taking deposits on the flats already, even though Debono does not yet have legal title to the land, the deal has not been hammered out (though it will have been hammered out secretly in a backroom) and the planning process is not yet even a twinkle in its father’s eye.

Now today, the Times of Malta reports that the deal was handled by Projects Malta. Projects Malta is the limited liability company which the incoming Muscat government set up immediately to handle all major government deals. At the time, the dangers of this slipped under the radar because everybody was so euphoric with the Labour victory and still saw Muscat as some kind of magic leader, instead of just a corrupt one. Projects Malta was intended to be a vehicle for fixing deals and by dint of that for corruption. And that is exactly why it was popped straight away into Konrad Mizzi’s portfolio, even when he was just Minister for Energy and should have had nothing to do with deal-brokering on anything else. It should more properly have been in the Finance Minister’s portfolio.

Now, of course, Projects Malta has been retained by the Prime Minister and Konrad Mizzi the ‘Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister’, is still in charge of it as the Prime Minister himself said.

Meanwhile, the Institute of Tourism Studies is to be moved out of the building which Labour Party donor Silvio Debono will be taking over, and into new premises at Smart City, a move that will cost the taxpaying public €56 million, as the Finance Minister has admitted. The move will also put a great burden on students who will be plucked out of central St Julian’s and put into Ricasoli.

I had written about the background to this fixed deal. Read my post here.

silvio debono flats

This is Labour Party donor Silvio Debono, who has been given a massive tract of land at St George's Bay, where the Insitute of Tourism Studies now is, and where is already selling flats in two towers on deposit. He is seen here at the marriage of Economy Minister Chris Cardona's aide, former Labour Party television reporter Jonathan Attard.

This is Labour Party donor Silvio Debono, who has been given a massive tract of land at St George’s Bay, where the Insitute of Tourism Studies now is, and where is already selling flats in two towers on deposit. He is seen here at the marriage of Economy Minister Chris Cardona’s aide, former Labour Party television reporter Jonathan Attard.