Malta Parliament Pulls Back on Freeport Land Transfer to Tuna Ranching Firm

A parliamentary resolution to hand a major slice of Malta Freeport real estate to tuna ranching company Malta Fish Farming Ltd was pulled from the National Audit Office Accounts Committee agenda without explanation on Tuesday, just as scrutiny over the firm's legal troubles intensified.

The resolution, proposed by Economy Minister Silvio Schembri in his capacity as minister responsible for the Freeport, had been scheduled for discussion and approval before committee members on March 13. It was removed at the last minute. Schembri was not present for the sitting, and notably, none of the committee members raised the missing agenda item during the session.

The deal itself was substantial. According to sources, the agreement would grant Malta Fish Farming Ltd (MFF) a 40-year temporary emphyteusis over public land at the Freeport, covering approximately 3,800 square metres. Embedded in that concession was permission to reclaim roughly 1,400 square metres of sea in order to construct a new quay purpose-built for the company's tuna ranching operations. Parliamentary approval is required to finalize the concession.

What makes the quiet shelving of this resolution significant is the legal cloud hanging over MFF. The company is currently subject to a court-ordered asset freeze, with the freezing order having been issued last year. Beyond that, one of MFF's directors is reportedly facing criminal charges that include money laundering. Despite those circumstances, sources say the government had already negotiated and reached what was described as a lucrative agreement with the firm.

That the negotiations proceeded while MFF's assets were under a court-issued restraint raises serious questions about the due diligence applied before Schembri's ministry advanced the resolution. No official explanation has been offered for why the item disappeared from the committee agenda, and no statement has come from Schembri's office, from MFF, or from any committee member.

Pictured in connection with the company are Giovanni Ellul and his father Salvu, identified as tuna ranchers. The sources do not name which MFF director faces the criminal charges.

The concession, if eventually approved, would represent a significant foothold at one of the Mediterranean's busiest port facilities, and the proposed sea reclamation alone would require environmental, planning, and maritime approvals that have not been publicly disclosed. Whether the resolution reappears on a future committee agenda, and under what conditions, remains the central question.