Jason Azzopardi Accuses Robert Abela of Hiding €20M Valuation on Public Land Sold for Just €8M
Former Nationalist MP and lawyer Jason Azzopardi has accused Prime Minister Robert Abela of concealing a €20 million valuation report on public land, which was later sold for just €8 million to Fortina Group.
Azzopardi claims that Abela was fully aware of the higher valuation but that the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) deliberately hid the report to justify the undervalued sale.
He said this moments after he was informed by the police that a security measure put in place for his safety less than four months ago was revoked. Azzopardi described this as an attempt to intimidate him and as a response, issued a defiant statement assuring he will “not be silenced”.
To prove his point, he wasted no time in revealing what he calls his first major revelation.
A Secret Report and a Multi-Million-Euro Land Deal
Azzopardi, a vocal critic of the government, disclosed that on 17th December, 2024, he was summoned by the Financial Crime Investigation Department (FCID) regarding a post he had written a month earlier about Prime Minister Robert Abela and the alleged misuse of public land.
During this meeting, he claims to have informed the FCID of crucial details about a land transfer deal involving Fortina Group and the Maltese government. According to him, Abela knew about a hidden valuation report that estimated the land’s worth at up to €20 million, yet it was ultimately sold for only €8 million.
He further explained that the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) had requested this valuation report in March 2019, but later concealed it to justify the land transfer at a significantly lower price. Despite facing considerable resistance from the OPM, Azzopardi said that the report was eventually passed on to the National Audit Office (NAO).
Declaring that Robert Abela is corrupt, Azzopardi made it clear that anyone who does not actively fight corruption is complicit. He stated that these were his exact words to the FCID during the December, 2024, meeting.
Despite the gravity of the claims, Azzopardi revealed that, as of today, the FCID has still not requested a copy of the report from the NAO—a fact he believes proves the unwillingness of authorities to act.
Addressing those who believe they can silence him, Azzopardi issued a direct warning: “If you think you can silence me, then you don’t know me.”
His statement comes amid ongoing concerns about government transparency, political accountability, and press freedom in Malta. Whether this latest revelation will trigger further investigations remains to be seen.
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