Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1541747
A court has ruled that Trans- port Malta acted unreasonably and disproportionately when it moved to cancel the registration of six fishing vessels owned by World Water Fisheries Limited, linked to Darren Debono The judgement, delivered on Friday, concluded that the au- thorities failed to give clear reasons for the attempted de-registration, breaching the company's right to a fair hear- ing. The dispute dates back to March 2018, when the Registrar General of Ships informed the company that the vessels risked being struck off the Maltese Ship Registry unless an unspeci- fied "cause" was remedied with- in one month. The notices referred only to "the national interest and the interest of Maltese Shipping", without further detail. Six ves- sels, Albasel, Marie De Lourdes, Marie De Lourdes III, Marie De Lourdes V, Marie De Lourdes I and Zeus, were affected. It later emerged, in proceed- ings linked to a Mandate of Injunction, that the real moti- vation was the involvement of shareholder Darren Debono, who, together with some of the vessels, appears on a sanctions list issued by the United States Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). The plaintiff company argued that the letters' vague wording made it impossible to understand or address the au- thorities' concerns. World Water Fisheries sub- mitted that OFAC sanctions have no legal force in Malta, are addressed to US persons alone, and cannot be applied by EU Member States. The compa- ny also stressed that Debono is facing criminal proceedings in Sicily that remain sub judice, and that no action has been tak- en against him or the vessels in Malta. Cancelling the vessels' registration, the plaintiff said, would have rendered them stateless and put crews and fish- ing licences at risk. The defendants maintained that the measure was justified under Article 29 of the Mer- chant Shipping Act, which al- lows the minister to de-register vessels in the national interest. They argued that the presence of OFAC-listed vessels under the Maltese flag posed a repu- tational risk to the registry. The court heard that the Sanctions Monitoring Board (SMB) had recommended urgent de-reg- istration to signal Malta's com- mitment to international obli- gations. However, testimony from the SMB Chairman confirmed that no United Nations sanctions had been issued against the share- holder or vessels, as the matter is political, and that OFAC des- ignations are not applicable to Malta. He also acknowledged that assessing the national inter- est fell outside the SMB's remit. Evidence from vessel captains indicated that the vessels were used solely for fishing and were under continuous monitoring. The court noted that Minister Ian Borg had played a limited role in the process, merely for- warding the SMB recommenda- tion to the registrar. It held that this fell short of the level of scru- tiny required by law, particularly given the wide discretion vested in the Minister. Evidence from the registrar indicated that the Maltese merchant registry had continued to grow throughout the period, undermining the ar- gument of reputational harm. In its judgement, the court emphasised that administra- tive authorities must give clear, sufficient reasons when threat- ening measures as serious as de-registration. A reference to the "national interest", without explanation, was not enough. The failure to specify the actual grounds deprived the plaintiff of a meaningful opportunity to re- spond and breached principles of natural justice. The court therefore declared the attempted de-registration unreasonable and dispropor- tionate. It held that the registrar and minister had no basis to cancel the vessels' registration and confirmed that the compa- ny is free to transfer the vessels or its interests in them. Costs were awarded against the defendants, including those related to the injunction pro- ceedings. 6 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 3 DECEMBER 2025 NEWS ĦALEY XUEREB hxuereb@mediatoday.com.mt Transport Malta breached natural justice in attempt to de-register vessels linked to Darren Debono Court rules Transport Malta acted unreasonably when it moved to cancel the registration of six fishing vessels associated with Darren Debono ECABS launched a new 'L-Ist- rina' ride category on Monday, aiding pledge collection and strengthening its partnership with the Malta Community Chest Fund Foundation. The new ride category is priced at the rate of an eCabs Go, however, with a €0.50 sup- plement per trip donated to L-Istrina. "The company was proud to reinforce its commitment to L-Istrina", said Luke Spiteri, Head of Operations at eCabs Malta, adding that this ride category "gives people a simple and meaningful way to con- tribute through their everyday mobility". This option will remain avail- able until 26 December, and this year's collaboration al- so includes a 45-person team giving operational support on Boxing Day, with 30 vehicles, 45 drivers and 4 logistics coor- dinators, working free of charge to assist with pledge collection. These vehicles are also cur- rently circulating in Malta, car- rying branded L-Istrina stick- ers, encouraging the public to "ride for a cause". Mark Mizzi, Head of Finance and Operations at the Malta Community Chest Fund, ex- pressed his gratitude towards eCabs' support. New 'L-istrina' ride category launched by eCabs ahead of national charity telethon JADE BEZZINA jbezzina@mediatoday.com.mt