This morning, a number of Gozitan residents facing the threat of eviction from the homes they have inhabited for generations addressed a press conference about the saga of the Abbazia di Sant Antonio delli Navarra.

Speaking outside the Maltese Curia in St Calcedonius Square, they demanded that Archbishop Scicluna reverses his decision to hand over control of a medieval foundation to the ”ruthless speculators’ that are ”ruining their lives and environment.”

They said that this land claimed by the Abbazia is also being given to developers for ”monstrous projects” one of which – an application for a ”massive” apartment block in Tas-Sajtun, Nadur – will be decided by the Planning Authority this Wednesday.

Residents are also today calling on the Archbishop to dismiss Patrick Valentino from rector of the Abbazia, initiate legal action to annul the transfer of Abbazia’s land to private companies as well as seek legal remedies to cancel the 2017 agreement with speculators.

Moviment Grafitti, organisers of today’s press conference said that, ‘the Abbazia was founded by noblewoman Cosmana Navarra in the 17th century, placing land she owned under control of the foundation and giving power to the Archbishop to appoint a rector who administers these lands for the benefit of the foundation. The rector has to be a male descendant of Cosmana’s nephew Federico or, in his absence, a priest.

The NGO explained that, ”the current absurd but tragic saga started in 1992 when, out of nowhere, a certain Richard Stagno Navarra claimed descent from Cosmana Navarra and rectorship of the Abbazia. At the time, the Archbishop’s Curia resisted and in 2013 won the court battle that confirmed the Archbishop’s right to appoint the rector.’

However, in 2017 ”a bolt out of the blue struck residents and farmers when, inexplicably, Archbishop Scicluna accepted the Stagno Navarras’ descent claims and appointed a rector of their choice, Dr Patrick Valentino,” the residents said.

They added that, ”’the new rector immediately started transferring land to companies owned by the Stagno Navarras, by Gozitan lawyer Carmelo Galea and by ex-magistrate Dennis Montebello and his children, one of who is Dr Valentino’s partner.”

Shockingly, the residents said, ”Archbishop Scicluna recently admitted in Court that he never verified the Stagno Navarras’ claims of descent from Cosmana Navarra.”

They added that,”Archbishop Scicluna’s decision to hand over control of the foundation to ruthless and powerful figures opened the floodgates to threats against Gozitan residents and monstrous development projects.”

Moviment Graffitti stated that, ”the Abbazia under the new rector, as well as the companies connected to it, began to claim ownership over lands where many families in Qala and Nadur have lived for generations, in some cases challenging the legal title held by these families and in other cases rushing to register lands in the Abbazia’s name on the basis of medieval documents with poorly-defined maps.”

These registrations were quickly approved by the Land Registry in Gozo, it said.

The residents claimed that ”families in Qala and Nadur are now being hounded for large sums of money by the Abbazia and other companies owned by the same group of people, placing them under immense pressure and stress for the past four years as well as leaving them with a pervasive feeling of injustice.”

”Apart from residents, farmers tilling land claimed by the Abbazia are also being asked for ridiculous increases in the price of their leases, with some starting to let go of the land they have cultivated for generations,” they said.

Moreover, they said, ”undeveloped land claimed by the Abbazia was given to developers for monstrous projects. On such land, Joseph Portelli is currently building a massive complex in Ta’ Kassja consisting of hundreds of apartments engulfing the locality of Qala.”

Moviment Graffitti stated that, ”in 1992 a handful of powerful persons concocted an incredible plan to hoodwink residents and build on undeveloped land in Gozo. In 2017, Archbishop Scicluna made the actualisation of their plan possible by handing them over swathes of land with the stroke of a pen, no questions asked. Scicluna is responsible for the suffering of hundreds of persons and for enabling greed that is destroying Gozo’s environment.”

In view of the above, the residents said that ”we are calling on Archbishop Scicluna to take responsibility for his actions and honour his obligations, both moral and those under the contract of foundation,” by:

”Immediately revoking the decree appointing Patrick Valentino, and hence dismissing him, from rector of the Abbazia. By the Archbishop’s own admission, Valentino was not supposed to transfer large lands to private companies which are now making millions in profit from the development on this land.

Initiate legal action to annul contracts granting these lands to private companies on the basis that such transfers go against the contract of foundation of the Abbazia, as well as the long-term interest of the Abbazia. The Archbishop has a moral duty to act in accordance with responsibilities and faculties placed on him by the foundress Cosmana Navarra.

Seek legal remedies to get the contracts of 27 February 2017 and 26 March 2018 annulled because these have led to situations that are extremely damaging to residents and farmers in Nadur and Qala, the environment in Gozo, the long term interests of the foundation, and the interests of the church itself, whose standing is being battered by this saga.”

Last week, four NGOs (Flimkien Ghal Ambjent Ahjar, Moviment Graffitti, Ghawdix, Din L-Art Helwa Ghawdex) took legal action asking the Planning Authority to dismiss a development application for a “massive” block of flat in Nadur, Gozo, slated for approval.

In a judicial protest written by Dr Philip Manduca and filed last Friday, the NGOs laid out the legal context and case law that should have led to this development application to be dismissed.

According to the NGOs, “four individuals then sent letters to the Planning Authority declaring that they are owners of parcels within the site. Victor Hili then amended the application form and declared, in the amended application form, that he is authorised to carry out such development through an agreement with the owner.”

After accepting his amended application, the NGOs said that the PA then made a “further logical twist by arguing in the Case Officer Report that ownership issues are beyond its remit.”

The stated that, “the application should have been dismissed over the fact that the applicant has not certified to the level required by law this point on ownership.”

The NGOs have now gone to court to challenge the PA’s “looseness with the law in this regard.”

Photo and video: Moviment Graffitti

Permalink: Gozitan residents demand Archbishop reverse decision on Gozo land grab