Moviment Graffitti is calling for a full-scale investigation into the expropriation practices carried out by Infrastructure Malta since its creation. Reacting to a story in The Times about unpaid expropriations and other unclear procedures, which have resulted in farmers and landowners not receiving the due compensation, the activist group said that this amounts to “grand theft, sponsored by the state at the expense of its citizens.”

The group said it is “disgusted” at the facts emerging from the media and confirmed its intention to challenge Infrastructure Malta’s land-grabbing in every means possible. The group also called on the Prime Minister to investigate the matter.

“The buck stops with the Prime Minister, who is responsible for his Ministers and CEOs. We believe that after multiple stories about Infrastructure Malta and the doings of entities within and including the Transport Ministry, there should be a formal investigation to establish why these people have not been paid, despite Infrastructure Malta’s repeated pledges that everything is being done by the book.”

The group pointed out how the Dingli saga exposed IM’s practices. The notification in the Government Gazette concerning the commencement of roadworks only appeared on Monday 29th March, a full week after the beginning of Moviment Graffitti’s action. However, after activists questioned IM staff on the existence of clearances, notifications and other official paperwork from the Lands Authority, expropriations were rushed through Lands. The notifications in the Government Gazette only appeared on the 12th April, three weeks after the beginning of the action.

The group also highlighted how Dr Borg and Ing Azzopardi withdrew their first request for a meeting between the two sides, after unilaterally deciding that the expropriation issue on the meeting agenda “had nothing to do” with the Dingli saga. “Now we understand why they weren’t comfortable meeting us outside IM’s offices,” the group added.

“We asked an IM foreman called Clint for these papers, but none were forthcoming. This means that IM was trespassing on private property without having the permission to do so from all landowners. This incident was caught on one of our livestreams; Infrastructure Malta realised they were exposed, and rushed the expropriations through.”

“This story confirms our suspicions about Infrastructure Malta’s practices. While the law establishing Infrastructure Malta clearly states that expropriations are to follow the procedures of the Lands Authority, it appears that many expropriation requests did not reach the Lands Authority at all.

We’ll wait with bated breath for Infrastructure Malta to react. Their excuse that works need to be carried out urgently doesn’t hold water, because expropriations from around 3 years ago are still unpaid even after some works have long since they’ve been completed.

If Infrastructure Malta will blame it on an administrative issue, then it would be interesting to highlight how the same “administrative issues” saw Infrastructure Malta issue €16m in prefinancing to three select contractors, despite tender regulations forbidding them from doing so. It also seems that these administration issues have not hindered the issue of millions upon millions of euro in direct orders to contractors, while farmers and landowners have yet to receive a cent.”

The group also reiterated its appeal to farmers to seek legal assistance and to avoid attending meetings with Infrastructure Malta on their own. “We are aware that, after the last press conference in Dingli, IM staff phoned up several farmers on a Saturday afternoon, asking them to attend a meeting in their premises in Luqa. We do not recommend you attend these meetings without a lawyer, and definitely not to sign anything – particularly under pressure.

Moviment Graffitti also said it is monitoring the situation closely and will decide on further action in the coming days.

Il-grupp iddiżgustat bil-farsa tal-esproprijazzjonijiet u jitlob l-intervent tal-Prim Ministru

Il-Moviment Graffitti qed jitlob investigazzjoni sħiħa fil-prattiki tal-esproprijazzjonijiet li saru minn Infrastructure Malta sa mill-bidu tal-ftuħ tagħha. F’reazzjoni għal storja li dehret fit-Times dwar esproprijazzjonijiet mhux imħallsin u proċeduri oħra, li wasslu sabiex bdiewa u sidien tal-art ma jirċevux il-kumpens mistħoqq, il-Moviment qal li dan huwa “serq sfaċċat, sponsorizzat mill-Istat, għad-dannu taċ-ċittadini tiegħu.”

Il-grupp qal li jinsab “iddiżgustat” bil-fatti li ħarġu f’dan ir-rapport u kkonferma l-intenzjoni tiegħu li jwaqqaf is-serq tal-art li qed twettaq Infrastructure Malta bi kwalunkwe mod possibbli. Il-grupp talab ukoll lill-Prim Ministru sabiex jinvestiga l-kwistjoni.

“Ir-responsabbiltà finali hija tal-Prim Ministru, li huwa responsabbli mill-Ministri u s-CEOs tiegħu. Aħna nemmnu li wara bosta stejjer dwar Infrastructure Malta u l-aġir tal-entitajiet fi ħdan il-Ministeru tat-Trasport – inklużi l-Ministeru stess – għandu jkun hemm investigazzjoni formali sabiex jiġi stabbilit għalfejn dawn il-persuni għadhom ma ngħatawx kumpens, minkejja l-wegħdiet/dikjarazzjonijiet ripetuti li kollox qed isir skont ir-regoli.”

Il-grupp fakkar kif l-azzjoni tiegħu f’Ħad Dingli kixfet dak li kienu qed jagħmlu IM. In-notifika fil-Gazzetta tal-Gvern dwar il-bidu ta’ xogħlijiet fuq it-toroq dehret biss nhar it-Tnejn, 29 ta’ Marzu, ġimgħa sħiħa wara l-bidu tal-azzjoni tal-Moviment Graffitti. Madankollu, wara li l-attivisti talbu lil persunal ta’ IM juru karti, notifiki, u dokumenti uffiċjali oħra mill-Awtorità tal-Artijiet, l-esproprijazzjonijiet bdew isiru b’mod mgħaġġel mil-Lands. In-notifiki fil-gazzetta tal-Gvern dehru biss fit-12 ta’ April, tliet ġimgħat wara li bdew l-azzjonijiet tal-Moviment Graffitti f’Ħad Dingli.

Il-grupp enfasizza wkoll kif Dr Borg u l-Ing Fredrick Azzopardi rtiraw l-ewwel talba tagħhom għal laqgħa mal-partijiet ikkonċernati, wara li unilateralment iddeċidew li l-kwistjoni tal-esproprijazzjonijiet li kellha tiġi diskussa “ma kellha xejn x’taqsam” mas-saga ta’ Ħad Dingli. “Issa qed nifhmu għalfejn bdew isibuha bi tqila jagħmlu laqgħa barra mill-uffiċċji ta’ IM,” żied il-grupp.

“Tlabna lil persuna ta’ IM responsabbli mix-xogħlijiet, tali “Clint”, sabiex jurina dawn il-karti iżda bqajna b’xejn. Dan ifisser biss li IM kienu qed jidħlu fuq art privata mingħajr ma jkunu kisbu permess mis-sidien kollha. Id-dokumenti tlabnihom waqt livestream minn Ħad Dingli; dak il-ħin, IM indunaw li nqabdu u telqu jgħaġġlu fuq l-esproprijazzjonijiet.”

“Din l-istorja kkonfermat is-suspetti tagħna fuq kif jaħdmu Infrastructure Malta. Filwaqt li l-liġi li tistabbilixxi lil Infrastructure Malta tiddikjara b’mod ċar li l-esproprijazzjonijiet għandhom isegwu l-proċeduri tal-Awtorità tal-Artijiet, jidher li ħafna minn dawn it-talbiet qatt ma waslu l-Lands.

Se nistennew b’ċertu ħerqa r-reazzjoni ta’ Infrastructure Malta. L-iskuża li x-xogħlijiet iridu jsiru b’urġenza mhijiex kredibbli, għax f’ċertu każijiet għaddew tliet snin u s-sidien għadhom ma tħallsux tal-esproprijazzjoni, minkejja li ħafna mix-xogħlijiet ilhom li tlestew.

Jekk Infrastructure Malta se twaħħal fi kwistjoni amministrattiva, infakkru kif dawn il-“kwistjonijiet amministrattivi” wasslu sabiex IM tħallas €16m f’finanzjamenti minn qabel lil tliet kuntratturi magħżula, minkejja li r-regoli tat-tender kienu jipprojbixxu li jsiru finanzjamenti minn qabel. Jidher ukoll li dawn il-kwistjonijiet ta’ amministrazzjoni ma żammewx lil IM milli joħorġu miljun fuq l-ieħor f’direct orders lill-kuntratturi, filwaqt li l-bdiewa u s-sidien tal-artijiet għadhom ma rawx ċenteżmu.”

Il-grupp tenna wkoll it-talba tiegħu lill-bdiewa sabiex ifittxu għajnuna legali u jevitaw li jmorru waħedhom għal-laqgħat ma’ IM. “Ninsabu infurmati li, tul is-Sibt waranofsinhar, wara l-aħħar konferenza stampa f’Ħad Dingli, persunal ta’ IM ċempel numru ta’ bdiewa biex imorru għal laqgħa ma’ Infrastructure Malta fl-uffiċċji tagħhom f’Ħal Luqa. Aħna nirrakkomandaw li ma tmorrux dawn il-laqgħat mingħajr avukat, u sabiex ma tiffirmaw ebda karta, speċjalment taħt pressjoni.”

Il-Moviment Graffitti qal ukoll li qed isegwi s-sitwazzjoni mill-qrib u se jieħu deċiżjoni dwar azzjonijiet ulterjuri fil-ġranet li ġejjin.