A project for the construction of a compound to store assets recovered from crime which has been in the offing for five years, has fallen further behind schedule with the new completion date moved to 2027. Unveiled in 2020, the “state-of-the-art” building was originally meant to cost €2.5 million and will house the Asset Recovery Bureau.  The futuristic design had featured prominently in the 2020 annual report and a year later was showcased in a news conference by the Justice Ministry. The four-storey building will preserve recovered from criminal activities, including jewellery, works of art, boats, trailers and cars. 

The Asset Recovery Bureau was set up by legislation in 2015 but its operations were stunted, with some regulations not having been brought into force for a couple of years. One of the major problems faced from the very beginning was the lack of storage and management facilities of the assets recovered from crime.

In the 2023 annual report, the ARB acknowledged the delay in the project and noted that it had funded temporary alternative premises in Marsa to cater for the growing staff, until the new compound would be completed.

A tender for the re-location of offices was issued in 2022, and eventually by September 2023, the ARB had officially moved to new offices in Marsa. The delays in the project were blamed due to an accumulation of debris emanating from construction activities near the Hal Far site, which were apparently dumped illegally. This required onsite testing to determine the level of contamination and as instructed by the Environment & Resources Authority (ERA), a waste disposal method statement was agreed on the separation, management, treatment, and eventual removal of the material.

In consultation with the project manager, the ARB engaged an independent advisor to prepare a technical report, on how the waste could be separated. The advisor also provided a treatment plan on how the toxic chemicals present could be neutralised at a cost, for exporting the materials abroad.

Meanwhile, by the end of 2023, the tender for the construction of the facility was at vetting stage by the Department of contracts. According to the ARB, the revised timeline for the completion of the project is the second half of 2027. An application for partial funding from the EU was also submitted. However, not details were given on the overall cost of the project which has presumably soared well above the original €2.5 million budgeted in 2021. As a matter of fact the removal and treatment of contaminated materials will results in significant additional costs possibly close to €2 million.