Tender for €300m Evans Building Hotel Scrapped by Review Board
The award of a €300 million government concession to redevelop the historic Evans Building into a luxury hotel has been annulled by the Public Contracts Review Board following a legal challenge to the tender process. The concession had been granted in 2024 to Valletta Luxury Projects, a consortium involving Eden Leisure Group and businessman Mark Weingard, for the regeneration, design, management and operation of the building as a high-end tourism accommodation establishment over a 65-year period. However, the board ruled that the consortium failed to “validly and unequivocally” state the total value of its financial bid. The evaluation committee had interpreted a €1.2 million figure as an annual concession payment, effectively raising the total value to €78 million. The board found that such an interpretation amounted to altering the bid after submission, which breaches procurement rules. The concession award was therefore annulled and the contracting authority ordered to re-evaluate the tender without the consortium’s bid. (Maltatoday)
Belgian Authorities Admit Mistake in Probe Linking Maltese MEP to China Deposits
Belgian prosecutors have admitted that Maltese Labour MEP Daniel Attard was wrongly identified as the recipient of suspicious deposits from China during an investigation linked to Chinese technology giant Huawei. According to reports by Politico, the Belgian prosecutor’s office informed the European Parliament’s legal affairs committee earlier this month that an error had been made when financial investigators confused the MEP with another Maltese individual bearing the same name. The transactions in question were in fact linked to a Maltese businessman and lawyer named Daniel Attard, who is unrelated to the MEP. The incorrect identification had been included in documentation sent to the committee as part of a dossier examining whether the parliamentarian’s immunity should be lifted in connection with the wider corruption probe. Belgian authorities have since acknowledged that the financial watchdog mistakenly attributed the bank account to the MEP, clarifying that he was not the holder of the account involved. (Times of Malta)
Government Continues Consultations on Grand Harbour Regeneration Plan
The government has continued consultations with maritime stakeholders on its proposed regeneration of the Grand Harbour, with Environment and Energy Minister Miriam Dalli meeting members of the Malta Maritime Forum to discuss the project’s future direction. The meeting formed part of an ongoing series of consultations aimed at gathering feedback from sectors that operate within or depend on the harbour’s activity. Forum chairman Godwin Xerri said the session provided an opportunity for industry members to raise concerns, expectations and proposals regarding the ambitious plan. Government representatives said the objective is to develop a modern vision for the port while safeguarding its historical significance and ensuring that existing maritime operations are not disrupted. Officials from the Grand Harbour Regeneration Corporation explained that the area had long carried a heavy industrial burden and now presents an opportunity for revitalisation. Authorities insist the consultation process will shape how the project evolves and ensure that the harbour remains an active economic and cultural hub for the country. (The Malta Independent)
