Real Finanz confirms request by BirdLife to buy Ta’ Cenc

In response to the report which appeared in MaltaToday Midweek of 1 August, Real Finanz deplores the attitude taken by some media contributors who continue to ignore the facts and opt to make use of sensational and incorrect information in their attempt to harness public opinion or to obtain political mileage.

Whilst everyone has every right to air his views, they should follow the normal procedures available to every citizen and not try to influence public opinion.

Victor Borg categorically denies ever having said that BirdLife Malta had proposed to buy this land and offering not to oppose his prospective development in the area.

In a letter sent by BirdLife President Joe Mangion to Victor Borg, Mr Mangion stated: “BirdLife Malta is interested to buy the land which is not earmarked for development particularly the extensive garigue and steppe areas”, and asked “whether it is possible for a delegation from BirdLife Malta to meet and discuss this proposal informally.”

A meeting was held sometime later to discuss the matter.

As regards the Lm5 million offer, sometime after this meeting a trusted professional person told Victor Borg that BirdLife would have been willing to offer around Lm5 million if Real Finanz accepted to sell.

At this point Victor Borg repeated what he had said to BirdLife during the meeting – that is, with no disrespect to BirdLife, Real Finanz were not interested in selling these areas.

Having full knowledge of the proposed Ta’ Cenc Project and knowing very well which areas were proposed for development (Villa area/Hotel Area) even from before 1997 when the present owners took over the area, BirdLife were interested to buy the proposed Heritage Park and the protected areas covering a total area of 86.42 hectares, that is nearly 60% of the whole Ta’ Cenc territory. This area is even larger than the whole of Valletta.

Mr Mangion said in comments to this newspaper: “At no point, neither in writing nor by spoken word during these discussions did BirdLife make a Lm5 million bid”, or even more so offered not to oppose the proposed development. As Real Finanz made it clear from the very beginning of the discussions and as publicly stated during the recent Sannat council meeting, Real Finanz would be more than willing to work hand in hand and cooperate in every way with BirdLife or any other NGO to protect and promote the Protected Areas and Heritage Park (the areas BirdLife were interested in). Real Finanz would never accept to sell this Heritage Park or the Protected Areas to anyone including BirdLife, especially if these areas were to be run as other areas (Ghadira Bird Sanctuary) presently operated by BirdLife, that is, they would not be open to the general public and visitors at all times and without charging any entrance fees.

During this Sannat council meeting, Victor Borg also said: “I am a Gozitan, I made what I have with the assistance of mostly Gozitan and some Maltese workers and with the generous custom which Gozitans, Maltese and visitors alike were kind enough to give us and for this reason I would like that Ta’ Cenc would not only be protected but it will also be enhanced and maintained at our expense to be freely enjoyed by everybody without having to pay any entrance fees and at the same time to serve as a marketing tool to be used by any operator, not just Real Finanz, to attract more tourists to Gozo especially during the Winter season when this is mostly needed..”

Real Finanz knows very well that especially in Gozo, it is no use having holiday accommodation or hotels unless we provide the amenities and attractions which everybody expects.

Victor Borg also mentioned Wirt Ghawdex and Heritage Malta as the organisations best suited to ensure the professional operation of the Heritage Park proposed, with no disrespect to any other NGOs who are mainly based in Malta.

This reply has been drawn up by Real Finanz owners of the Ta' Cenc land.

Editorial note:

Victor Borg’s statement categorically denying he ever said Birdlife Malta had proposed to buy the land at Ta’ Cenc is contradicted by a transcript of what he said at the Sannat local council which we are reproducing hereunder.

“I will show you a letter from Birdlife showing they wanted to buy the Heritage park, the whole of it, they told me that I can build wherever I like of they bought the park. They offered us Lm 5 million to make a sanctuary. I refused. I told them I am a Gozitan and I made my money with Gozitan workers. I want Ta’ Cenc to be enjoyed by everyone.” – Victor Borg.

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Facts about the ‘Land Scandal’

Mr Savio Spiteri was recently targeted in a number of articles published in the local newspaper, MaltaToday: Conmen in Cocky Land Deals Scam (6 June 2004), More Serious Revelations on Land Scams as Libel Actions Unleashed (13 June 2004) and Public Land Not Identified by Notaries and Banks: Evidence Continues to Surface in Land Scandal (20 June 2004).

The author/s of these articles claimed that Mr Spiteri was involved in the recent scandals concerning the sale of land which, allegedly, did not belong to him. MaltaToday eventually contacted Mr Spiteri in order to obtain a complete picture of the situation,

In order to bring to print the version of the facts, as told by the person who was directly involved in the transactions condemned in its previous articles.

When contacted by MaltaToday, Mr Spiteri told of how the land in question came to form part of the assets pertaining to Spiteri Holdings Limited. Mr Spiteri runs a restaurant in Gozo, and over the years had become acquainted with two friars who sometimes frequented the restaurant. By talking to these friars he discovered that the inheritance of Reverend Paul Xuereb and his sister Tereza Xuereb had become vacant. Mr Spiteri eventually decided to purchase the entire inheritance, despite the fact that he did not know of what it consisted. However, as Mr Spiteri explained to MaltaToday, he had absolute faith in the friars and in the information given by them in relation to the inheritance of siblings Xuereb. Mr Spiteri had also found out that for some time, the vacant inheritance of siblings Xuereb had been administered by a testamentary executor who was subsequently substituted by Reverend Valente.

As Mr Spiteri explained, Reverend Valente eventually requested authorisation from the Courts of Law to sell the vacant inheritance to Spiteri Holdings Limited. Following the authorication granted by the Courts of Law, the entire inheritance was acquired by by Spiteri Holdings Limited for the price of Lm7,000 by way of a contract of sale dated 5 August 1996 held in the records of Notary Dr Tony Abela. Mr Spiteri then sought the services of an architect who eventually confirmed that the land known as Ta’ Giorni formed part of the inheritance of Reverend Paul and Tereza siblings Xuereb.

On the 13 October 1999, Spiteri Holdings Limited sold a number of plots forming part of the land known as Ta’ Giorni to Madliena Developments Limited. In the contract entered into by these companies it was stipulated that the property would be sold tale quale. Moreover, both parties to the contract exempted the notary from undertaking the usual searches prior to the publication of the contract of sale, and this only because the relative searches had already been undertaken by Notary Dr Tony Abela when the property was transferred to Spiteri Holdings Limited by the heirs of Reverend Paul Valente and his sister Tereza. This was also agreed since there had been no subsequent transfer of the property.

Mr Savio Spiteri was certain that Madliena Developments Limited was satisfied with the transaction undertaken since the Directors of said company contacted Spiteri Holdings Limited once again so as to purchase an additional portion of the property in question. The Directors of Madliena Developments Limited were also interested in acquiring Spiteri Holdings Limited. As a result, Mr Spiteri sold his shares in the company Spiteri Holdings Limited.

Subsequent to all this, the Joint Office sought to register the land known as Ta’ Giorni as property belonging to the Government of Malta. Upon this information reaching Madliena Developments Limited, the company contested this registration on the basis that the Government did not have title to the property since the Ecclesiastical authorities had lost their claim to this land through the passage of time. It is therefore being maintained that Spiteri Holdings Limited, and consequently Madliena Developments Limited, acquired the property in question through a valid title.

Dr Stefano Filletti
Valletta

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Biting the Euro!

Today we saw parliamentary secretary Tonio Fenech “biting the euro”. Tomorrow, that same euro will make the Tonio Fenech and his PN colleagues “Bite the Dust”!

Eddy Privitera
Mosta

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