Refalo defends Qala lease, insists he ‘did not know’ Totò Riina

Minister Anton Refalo on Tuesday again defended his long-term lease of a property in Qala, strongly rejecting any suggestion of links to notorious Sicilian mafia boss Totò Riina and insisting he did “not know him”.

The controversy follows international media reports alleging that a villa in Qala may have once been used as a hideout by Riina, the former head of Cosa Nostra. While these claims remain unproven, they have triggered political scrutiny in Malta due to Refalo’s lease of the property.

In comments addressing the issue, Refalo forcefully rejected claims that he had any knowledge of or connection to Riina, drawing a distinction between being aware of a public figure and personally knowing them.

“To know somebody, you have to talk to him. I don’t know Totò Riina,” he said, adding that he had “never talked to him, never had any contact with him, never known him, never did any deals with him.”

When pressed on earlier remarks in which he appeared to deny knowing who Riina was, Refalo clarified that while people may read about individuals, that does not amount to knowing them personally.

“Everybody can know of a person. But that doesn’t mean that you know that person,” he said, maintaining that he had no awareness of any alleged connection between Riina and Gozo at the time. “I honestly didn’t even know that he was in Gozo,” he added.

Refalo also pointed to the timeline of his lease agreement as central to his defence, stating that the private contract for the Qala property dates back to 2002, nearly nine years after Riina’s arrest in 1993.

“What does that mean? It means that Totò Riina had been in jail for almost nine years. Therefore, how can it be that I was in collusion with Totò Riina?” he said.

Refalo described the agreement as a private contract that is not publicly registered but said it has already been shown to media organisations and remains available for inspection upon request. He further rejected claims that he had longstanding ties to Qala or familiarity with individuals there, stating that he is originally from Victoria and only moved to the village in 2002 with his family.

“Till 2002, I knew little to nothing about the village of Qala,” he said, arguing that this undermines suggestions he could have had prior knowledge of any alleged historical use of the property. Refalo has been an MP elected on the Gozo district since 1987.

The case has raised broader questions around transparency and political accountability, particularly regarding the declaration of leased assets, while the central allegation linking the property to Riina remains unverified. Refalo, however, criticised the way the story emerged, claiming he had been approached without being informed he was being filmed and warning that the controversy had harmed Malta’s reputation.

“All that has been done is damage to Malta, and that I don’t accept,” he said.

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