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.

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.