Alleged money launderer Adrian Muscat owns illegal entertainment venue in front of police academy

Adrian Muscat, who is currently facing money laundering and car theft charges in court, owns an illegal entertainment venue that is located just across the street from the Malta Police Force’s academy in Ta’ Kandja, Siġġiewi, an investigation by The Shift can confirm.

State prosecutors accuse Muscat, who also owns the Galletta Auto Dealer showroom in Żebbuġ, of allegedly transferring and retaining property in his possession that was obtained through illicit proceeds from criminal activity, an alleged crime that was aggravated by Muscat’s concealment of it.

While state prosecutors noted that investigations about the accused remained ongoing, Muscat was also accused of stealing three luxury vehicles from the Marriott Hotel in Balluta – an Audi S7, a Bentley Continental, and a Rolls Royce Ghost. Muscat denies the charges and claims that the vehicles, which were moved using a tow truck, were taken away “accidentally”.

State prosecutors also asked the criminal court to impose a sweeping freezing order on all of Muscat’s assets for a value of up to €1 million.

Besides allegedly laundering illicit proceeds through property and stealing three luxury vehicles, Muscat also committed a raft of planning illegalities on what was once an agricultural plot of land in Siġġiewi.

He is also running an entertainment business from the site, when he had previously formally declared to the Planning Authority (PA) that the site was to be used for residential purposes.

Illegalities on the site include the development of a full-blown kitchen and dining service, a pool, indoor and outdoor entertainment areas, and anciliary hard landscaping.

Muscat had previously attempted to sanction these illegalities on the site, which date back all the way to 2006. The sanctioning application was refused by the PA. Muscat’s appeal against that refusal was also rejected by the Environment and Planning Review Tribunal (EPRT).

Despite the tens of thousands of euros owed in unpaid fines and the authorities’ wholesale rejection of Muscat’s attempt to sanction the site’s illegalities, the restaurant continues to operate unhindered.

A site visit conducted by The Shift earlier this week confirmed ongoing activity on the site, with delivery vehicles bringing in stock throughout the afternoon.

The venue’s busy social media presence further confirms that Muscat’s business, known as Ta’ Drinu Farmhouse, is currently taking bookings and promoting its amenities.

The site visit also made it evident that, despite the relatively high walls around the property’s facade, the development is still clearly visible from street level.

In response to questions sent by The Shift, Muscat reached out through a lawyer to state that he has filed a new planning application for the site, a process he claims has been ongoing for a few months.

A look at the PA’s Map Server does not show that Muscat filed any new applications this year, though it is possible that the application has not yet been made public while it undergoes preliminary screening.

Muscat did not deny the site’s illegalities, and further clarified that he runs the business as a self-employed individual and not through a company.

Millions in direct orders

Galletta Construction Ltd, a construction company which is entirely owned by Muscat, received a total of 17 direct orders in less than four years, earning a total of €2.5 million in the process.

At least one other formerly agricultural site owned by Muscat was converted into a dumping site for inert waste that was generated by the construction company. The site is located in Triq ta’ Ħal Mula, Żebbuġ.

In clear defiance of planning laws, Muscat managed to successfully convince the PA to lift one enforcement notice filed in 2021 after removing the illegally dumped waste from the site – only to be slapped with another enforcement notice for the same infringement that same year.

In 2019, the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) made a rare, drastic intervention on roadworks that were being carried out by Galletta Construction, issuing a stop works order after the firm was caught working in an ecologically sensitive site without any relevant permits.

All direct orders awarded to Galletta Construction Ltd were issued through Infrastructure Malta.