Cafe Premier/government – a deal behind closed doors
Published:
May 13, 2014 at 9:29am
This story was in Times of Malta’s print edition/e-paper yesterday:
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So government spent 4.2 million euros to prevent potential damage to priceless documents.
Why didn’t it spent that amount on salvaging the documents themselves?
With a budget like that, the restoration unit would have been in clover.
I believe Malta Today reported this story a couple of months ago. The Government did not have to settle at all but could have easily evicted them because they defaulted on their emphyteutical grant. Instead it pays an astronomical sum of money, settling all dues by the companies in question including the shareholders’ loan to the company. Not only, but it does this in record time. The ultimate beneficiaries of this massive payout from our taxpayers coffers is the Curmi family – yes the stockbrokers – not a family who really needs any hand-outs let’s face it. I’m not sure if there is anyone else who benefitted from this besides them, but all in all it stinks.
This was a business venture and whilst the going was good, I am sure they took their dividends. Regardless, this was a private business venture and this comes with risks. If it fails, it should not be the Government, and therefore the tax-payer to carry the cost. How easy it is to be so generous with other people’s money.
I think you will find the main beneficiary was a certain Mario Camilleri.
These are the questions we should be asking.
‘Cui bono?’
When the café was still in use some 5/6 years ago all its appliances were electric and the lease specified NO GAS.
I wager it’ll become Marie-Louise Coleiro’s outlet for favours to the poor starving masses. It’s conveniently situated and does away with security checks because it’s not part of the Palace complex. Just you wait.