Prime minister transfers yacht to friends’ marina at centre of controversy

Prime Minister Robert Abela started using a new berth for his luxury yacht at the Gardens Marina in Ta’ Xbiex, owned by his close friends Paul and Mark Gauci, known as Tal-Gedida, from Birkirkara.

The prime minister’s Azimut yacht was transferred from its original berth at Birgu to the Ta’ Xbiex marina a few weeks ago.

The marina, which the Gaucis obtained through a 25-year concession from the government, is currently undergoing refurbishment through the construction of a Capitainerie, which will be turned into a restaurant and handed over to the prime minister’s friends.

The government is proceeding with the project despite public opposition to the deal and a pending appeal.

So far, Abela has failed to prove that he is paying for his yacht’s berth, estimated to cost some €15,000 a year.

The prime minister did not reply to questions from The Shift about why he had moved his yacht to Ta’ Xbiex and whether he was actually paying for it or ‘allowed’ to use it by his friends.

Abela refused to publish proof of payment in the form of invoices and bank transactions for his yacht’s berth.

Sources close to the marina operators told The Shift that Abela’s yacht had been moored at the Gauci marina since the summer and has changed two berths so far, making it difficult to identify from shore.

Abela’s 16-metre yacht, a 50-foot flybridge model, was manufactured by Italian boat manufacturer Azimut in 2008. It was first provisionally registered under the Maltese Shipping Register in 2020, soon after Abela became prime minister. Its registration was completed in 2021.

Who is paying for the Gaucis restaurant?

Eyebrows were raised among yachting enthusiasts on the sudden presence of the prime minister’s yacht at the Ta’ Xbiex marina at the same time as B&B contractors, known as Tal-Bona, started construction work on a new Capitainerie on behalf of Transport Malta.

It seems that public funds are being used to build the one-storey building, which will be dominated by a large water’s edge restaurant, which will be passed on to the marina’s operators upon completion.

An artist’s impression of new Ta’ Xbiex restaurant to be built for the prime minister’s friends through public funds.

Transport Malta CEO Kurt Farrugia has failed to reply to questions on whether the government Authority is paying for a building that the marina operators will use for commercial interests.

Farrugia did not reply to questions on how much Transport Malta will be forking out for this project and whether a tender has been issued for the engagement of Tal-Bona contractors. No such call for tenders appears on the Authority’s website.

The Shift reported that while the Planning Authority permit issued in 2022 for the Capitainerie was still under appeal, Transport Malta gave instructions for construction to start, contrary to Abela’s promise to stop the possibility of developing projects while they were being contested.

In May 2023, Abela announced that the government would soon legislate on the appeal process to stop abuses. Nothing has been done while the abuse continues.

                           

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Joseph Micallef
Joseph Micallef
16 days ago

Lejber’s projects all stink to high heaven.
TIME UP LEJBER. WE URGENTLY NEED DIFFERENT PEOPLE IN GOVERNMENT STARTING FROM THE pm WHO DON’T THINK THAT OUR TAXES ARE THEIR PERSONAL DISPOSABLE AVAILABLE CASH.

James
James
16 days ago

Oh what it must be to have “ friends” at the top of the tree to grant wishes like the fairy on top of a Christmas tree!

With the added bonus that for these “ friends” it is Christmas Day every day of the year….

Carmelo borg
16 days ago

Xi TRIDU TGHIDLU DAK HADEM LEJL U NHAR META KIEN IL MEP TAFX.
IL BRAVU GONZI ( HABIB TA PAPA) li meta KIEN TFAL kienu joghdu jilabu il ballun fit triq tah TEZOR JISWA IL MILJUNI HUX BOBBY.
INSOMMA MAFJA MALTIJA HOKLI DARI HA INHOKK TIEGHEK U IL POPOLIN GAHAN IC CAP CAP MEQ MEQ

El Ninho
El Ninho
16 days ago

Ask Abela how much he pays when in Ragusa…. To his other Gauci friends.

Cikku
Cikku
15 days ago

the Gedida brothers have had it really well under the lejber. Their car showroom in Valley Road leased to INDIS as offices, with exhorbitant rent guarantees them total capital ROI within 5-7 years. They managed to secure two petrol stations – one in luqa (for which they apparently where the only bidders) and another in Valley road upon which they also secured the construction of 5-6 floors of residential/commercial offices…..something which as far as im aware went against the PA Policy for the relocating of petrol stations, for which a public consultation document was issued in 2019. However since probably the gauci’s had already started filing applications with PA since 2015 and slowly slowly modifying their plans, without atracting any attention to them since their development was sandwiched between two other bigger developments, two office buildings and retirement home, nobody noticed anything.

As they say in italian – chi va piano va lontano.

Reality
Reality
15 days ago

Halliel ta flus il-haddiem onest.Isthi

Magnus
Magnus
12 days ago

Another stinking project on the island that have more in common with an African rogue state than Europe.

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