Last Friday, a massive fire at a Marsa scrapyard sent thick smoke billowing across Malta, with the smell reported in several towns. The blaze disrupted daily life: MCAST lectures were cancelled, the Addolorata Cemetery was forced to shut down, and nearby workers were sent home. According to the Times of Malta, the flames were even visible from space.
Residents described the stench as overpowering, raising concerns about exposure to highly toxic fumes. Firefighting efforts were extensive, with around 4.7 million litres of water and 30,000 litres of firefighting foam were used, alongside roughly 30 fire appliances.
In total, 153 firefighters and 16 senior fire officers from the CPD battled the blaze for hours, risking their lives to contain a disaster that should never have happened. Worryingly, a similar fire occurred at the same site just four years ago, once again draining significant national resources.
Who is behind the scrapyard?
The scrapyard in question, JAC Steel Limited, was originally owned by Adolph Baldacchino, who transferred some shares in 2013 to Oracle Investments Limited. Two years later, in 2015, Baldacchino stepped down as director, passing the role to Conrad Baldacchino, who also became the company secretary and its legal and judicial representative.
Today, JAC Steel has two shareholders: Oracle Investments Limited and Conrad Baldacchino.
Oracle Investments is fully owned by Celine Borg Baldacchino, though the company is fronted operationally by Audrey Inger Demicoli, who is listed as director, secretary, and legal and judicial representative.
Ms Demicoli, also known as Audrey Testaferrata De Noto or “Perit Audrey”, ran as a Labour Party candidate in the 2022 general election. In 2023, The Shift News reported that she was employed at Transport Malta through a “special employment” loan agreement.
Adolph Baldacchino has also been publicly linked to Ms Demicoli in multiple photos on social media.
According to past court cases and media reports, Adolph Baldacchino has been involved in several legal disputes over the years:
- 2008: JM Vassallo Vibro Steel Limited accused him of failing to pay more than €45,000 for metal materials related to construction.
- 2012: Former employee Anthony Falzon won €5,000 in a case concerning unfair dismissal and unpaid wages.
- 2014–2015: Baldacchino was accused of accepting a stolen Toyota forklift. He admitted to the charge and, in March 2015, received a one-year prison sentence, suspended for two years.
Conrad Baldacchino is also the sole shareholder of Shipserv Limited, a Malta-registered company that appeared in a 2021 case involving Finance Minister Clyde Caruana. At the time, Times of Malta reported that Minister Caruana had called Conrad Baldacchino in 2021 to procure food supplies destined for Libya.
Conrad Baldacchino appears to have close ties to Prime Minister Robert Abela and the Labour Party, having been photographed multiple times with former Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo, MEP Alex Agius Saliba, and other prominent Labour figures.
