More than €500,000 already paid for Archbishop’s ODZ country house

More than half a million euro has already been paid through the Archdiocese of Malta’s coffers for the conversion of a farmhouse in Rabat into a state-of-the-art country residence for the personal use of Archbishop Charles Scicluna, according to a conservative estimate provided by sources involved in the project’s implementation.

Further investigations established that work on the three-tumoli property in Triq il-Buskett, Rabat, is now in its final stages, with only a few outstanding issues related to interior design still pending.

Sources involved in implementing the work said Archbishop Scicluna has personally and regularly inspected the ongoing works, often accompanied by his close friend and communications consultant, Steve Mallia.

The latest revelations come after the Curia issued a statement attacking The Shift for exposing the Archbishop’s new country house and denying that excessive funds had been spent.

While Archbishop Scicluna insisted in his denial that no excessive expenditure had been incurred, officials said this was “far from the truth” and that the facts revealed by The Shift could easily be disproved if the Archbishop were to publish a full list of payments made so far.

Asked again by The Shift to state how much had already been paid, the Archbishop, or his close friend, did not reply.

Yet The Shift can now confirm that payments have already exceeded €500,000 (a conservative estimate), with further invoices still being verified before a final payment is made.

Most of the payments were made to Naxxar-based contractor ONIG, which was responsible for the overall work.

Sources involved in implementing the project said the Archbishop and Mallia frequently visited the site together, discussing whether completed work should be altered before instructing the architect and contractors to implement changes.

Last week, The Shift reported how senior clerics within the Curia administration expressed anger over what they described as excessive and unnecessary spending of Church funds to convert an old ODZ farmhouse near Buskett into a private rural residence for Archbishop Scicluna.

The scale and scope of the expenditure have raised questions, particularly given that the Archbishop already has a Church-funded palace in Mdina in which to reside.

Investigations revealed that the ODZ property has long been in the Curia’s possession and had, for decades, been used by a part-time farmer and his family.

About five years ago, Archbishop Scicluna identified the site as a potential private residence and initiated plans to convert it.

Initial designs drawn up by architect Andrew Ellul, the husband of controversial Planning Authority official Elizabeth Ellul, included extensive upgrades such as a large swimming pool, landscaped gardens, and an expanded building footprint.

The Planning Authority rejected several of the Archbishop’s proposals for violating policies governing development in Outside Development Zones (ODZs).

A scaled-down version of the project was eventually approved, consisting of a three-bedroom residence with a large kitchen and dining area, a study, and other amenities overlooking the surrounding countryside.

In previous replies to The Shift, the Curia acknowledged that Steve Mallia, the Archbishop’s close friend and PR agent, was involved in decisions related to interior design and furnishings on behalf of the Archbishop, despite holding no formal position within the Curia.

A Curia spokesperson acknowledged Mallia’s involvement and said he “ facilitated a contact in relation to furnishing, for which he received no remuneration and which resulted in significant savings for the Curia”.

The spokesperson confirmed that Mallia’s company, Media Insiders, is engaged as a communications consultant for the Curia.

Mallia was also previously appointed to the board of the Church’s media company, before being later replaced by his business partner, Ariadne Massa.