PN Leader Challenges PM to Report Fuel Hub Claims to Police

6 May 2026, 22:01 · Updated 7 May 2026, 13:03

Opposition Leader Alex Borg has challenged Prime Minister Robert Abela to file a police report regarding claims the Prime Minister made about the Nationalist Party's proposed offshore fuel hub.

During a rally in Birkirkara, Mr Borg urged the Prime Minister to report his allegations to the police. This comes after Prime Minister Abela claimed that proposals for a gas and oil terminal in Hurd's Bank were put forward by "Malta's biggest oil-contrabandist."

Earlier, Prime Minister Abela had criticised the Nationalist Party's proposed Mediterranean Maritime Fuel Hub. Speaking at a campaign event in Santa Luċija, he insisted that working offshore was "terrible," in a direct reference to the PN's proposal.

The Momentum party also expressed deep concern over the Nationalist Party's plan for a fuel hub on Hurd's Bank, located to Malta's east. Momentum stated that the proposal showed a "serious lack of consideration for the environmental, economic and community implications."

Newsbook reported on both Prime Minister Abela's criticism and Momentum's condemnation of the proposal. The Maltese Herald highlighted the Opposition Leader's direct challenge to the Prime Minister to take his claims to the police.

Opposition Leader Alex Borg has challenged Prime Minister Robert Abela to report any claims regarding fuel smuggling to the police. Borg made this challenge on Wednesday evening, firmly denying any consultation with criminals concerning the Nationalist Party's proposal for an offshore fuel hub at Hurd's Bank.

This development comes as a Maltese-flagged vessel, named Agapi 1, was reported to have anchored at Hurd's Bank for nearly two weeks in April before proceeding to Saint Petersburg, Russia. The vessel has been described as suspicious and potentially linked to Russia's "shadow fleet."

The presence of such a vessel at Hurd's Bank adds a new dimension to the ongoing discussion surrounding the proposed fuel hub and the broader context of maritime activities in the area. The Opposition Leader's challenge underscores the political tension surrounding the issue.

Oliver Cini, identified as one of the main figures behind the Nationalist Party's (PN) proposed LNG and Hurd's Bank project, has strongly refuted allegations made by Prime Minister Robert Abela. Earlier, Fil-Qosor reported on the Prime Minister's criticism of the PN's fuel hub proposal and the Opposition Leader's challenge for him to report his claims to the police.

Mr Cini, in a statement, described the Prime Minister's assertions as "a lie from start to finish." He insisted that he was a principal figure in developing the proposal, directly countering the criticisms raised by Prime Minister Abela.