The Nationalist Party in a statement on Sunday, has highlighted the Sunday Times of Malta article [1] which the PN said, has revealed “yet another scandal that further entangles the web of controversies surrounding Roderick Galdes.”
The PN stated that “the Minister responsible for the allocation of social housing has once again found himself on the right side of a remarkably favourable property deal.”
It also claimed that “this latest revelation has caused a stir within the Labour Parliamentary Group, with many MPs now expecting Robert Abela to put a stop to Roderick Galdes before he inflicts even more damage than he has already caused to the Labour Government.”
“The Sunday Times story reveals how Galdes bartered an apartment in Xaghra for a plot of land in Gharb, on which a house has since been built,” the PN statement said.
The Party went on to say that just a few days ago, Roderick Galdes was already the subject of another property-related story [2] – “this time involving a luxury duplex penthouse with a jacuzzi, its own airspace and a garage, which he managed to purchase at the bargain price of €140,000.”
The PN noted that the Sunday Times “has now uncovered yet another favourable deal struck by the Minister for Social Housing – once again with the same developers who were awarded €27 million in affordable housing contracts by the Housing Authority, which falls under his remit.”
The story also states that, “since the property was valued higher than the plot, the developers made up the difference by carrying out works for Galdes on the site,” the PN said. “The plot was valued at €100,000, while Galdes’ apartment was valued at €135,000.”
It added that “according to the Sunday Times, Galdes had originally paid €45,000 for this apartment when he first purchased it five years earlier, in 2015, from a different developer. The idea for the barter deal reportedly came from Galdes himself.”
“While Galdes continues to prosper, our children and families struggle every day to afford their first home,” stated the PN.
The PN also highlighted that “the two properties reported on by the media in recent days are just two from a much longer list of properties acquired by Galdes over the past years, including properties in Sicily and in the UK.”
The Nationalist Party concluded by saying that it has “no need to instruct any authority. Everyone knows their responsibilities and to whom they have sworn loyalty. To whom has Robert Abela sworn his?”
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