New documentation raises questions about handling of Mozura wind farm project and Enemalta’s involvement

Newly released documentation has raised serious concerns about how the Montenegrin government handled the Možura wind farm concession and the subsequent transfer of the project to Malta’s state energy company Enemalta.

The revelations point to potential conflicts of interest and revive long-standing allegations of corruption surrounding the international deal, which has already been the subject of investigations by journalists.

The project dates back to 2014, when Montenegro issued a construction permit for the Možura wind farm on 15 December of that year. Under the concession agreement, the investor was required to begin construction within two months. The deadline passed in February 2015 without construction starting.

At that moment, the state reportedly had several legal mechanisms available to protect the public interest: the right to terminate the concession contract, the option to collect a €1.5 million bank guarantee, and the possibility of launching a new tender using the already prepared technical documentation, permits and studies.

“In February 2015, the government acquired a clear contractual right to terminate the contract for the Možura wind farm project, because the investor had not begun construction within the deadline stipulated in the contract, which was two months from the issuance of the construction permit in 15 December 2014.

At that moment, the state had three strong instruments for protecting the public interest at its disposal: the right to terminate the contract, the possibility of collecting the bank guarantee of €1.5 million, and the possibility of launching a new tender, while using the documentation, permits and technical analyses that had already been obtained. However, the government at the time, led by Prime Minister Đukanović, did not use any of those mechanisms,” Deputy Prime Minister Koprivica said.

Instead of exercising those rights, the government led by then-prime minister Milo Đukanović opted for a different path. The Ministry of Economy commissioned a legal opinion from the Belgrade-based law firm Moravčević, Vojnović and Partners on the project’s future and the transfer of the concession to Enemalta.

Documents obtained by investigators in Montenegro suggest the law firm advising the government had simultaneous ties to the company that ultimately acquired the project. While providing legal opinions to the State on whether the transfer should be approved, the firm also had a business relationship with Enemalta.

Further raising concerns, the firm reportedly held a special power of attorney from Enemalta’s chief executive officer at the time, Frederick Azzopardi, authorising it to represent the Maltese State energy company in the process of acquiring the project from the offshore vehicle that controlled it.

“Even more indicative is the fact that this law firm also received a special power of attorney from Enemalta, signed by its Chief Executive Officer, Frederick Azzopardi, authorising it to represent the company in the process of acquiring the project from Cifidex, the company through which control over the project had been exercised,” according to the statement.

This dual role meant the same law firm was simultaneously advising the Montenegrin government on the legality of transferring the concession and representing the company seeking to obtain it.

Records indicate that in 2018, the company Možura Wind Park – by then owned by Enemalta – paid the law firm approximately €67,000 through six invoices. Critics argue these facts raise serious questions about the independence and integrity of the legal advice the State received during the decision-making process.

A deal already under international scrutiny

The Možura wind farm project has been the subject of extensive investigative reporting by Montenegrin authorities and media organisations, including The Shift.

Investigations revealed that Enemalta purchased the concession in December 2015 for around €10.3 million from the offshore company Cifidex – more than three times the €2.9 million Cifidex had paid for the same asset just weeks earlier.

The ultimate beneficial owner of Cifidex was reported to be Azerbaijani businessman Turab Musayev, who was also connected to the Electrogas consortium alongside Yorgen Fenech, who is facing charges for the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.

The transaction generated millions of euro in profits for intermediaries and offshore companies involved in the deal, investigations have shown.

Subsequent reporting indicated that an internal audit later concluded that Enemalta knew it was paying an inflated price and failed to carry out proper due diligence on the beneficial ownership of the company from which it was purchasing the project.

The controversial acquisition occurred while Malta was under the administration of former prime minister Joseph Muscat, who promoted the project as a major energy investment abroad.

The Možura wind farm has frequently been cited as an example of cross-border corruption involving political and business networks in multiple countries.

The case also intersects with broader corruption investigations in Malta involving the Electrogas energy project and the Dubai company 17 Black, which was linked to secret payments associated with energy contracts.

The new documentation is expected to be submitted to the relevant authorities for further examination. Investigators say the aim is to establish the full chain of decisions that led to the transfer of the Možura project and determine whether criminal or political responsibility exists.