A confidential memorandum obtained by Nova.rs has set out allegations against the Maltese Curia, the governing body of the Archdiocese of Malta, and CPHCL, the parent company of hospitality conglomerate Corinthia Group, writes Louis Auge.

According to the Serbian outlet, the document raised serious questions about potential conflicts of interest and disputed real estate transactions between the hospitality giant and the upper echelons of Malta's Catholic Church.

At the heart of the controversy is the 50-year lease deal agreed between the two parties over the development and management of Casa Leone XIII. The property in question is an elderly care home in Malta’s upscale St Julian’s district, owned by the Archdiocese and subsequently leased to CPHCL. Following the agreement, Jean Pierre Schembri, CEO of CPHCL, said the company would look to "transfer all our knowledge in quality hospitality, catering, laundry, landscaping and other ancillary activities into the management of homes for the elderly". But neither Corinthia nor CPHCL has any known experience in elderly care management.

The Casa Leone deal has drawn further scrutiny for its purported lack of transparency, becoming the second property in quick succession the Curia has leased without public tender. Integra Wellness Clinic, a company traced back to Saudi Arabia’s influential former oil minister Ahmed Zaki Yamani, was also granted a 30-year concession to operate the Apap Institute in Santa Venera, a shuttered retirement home.

But Integra the business was incorporated just weeks before the agreement with the Curia was signed, while company filings also showed that the entity was registered at the offices of Maltese lawyer Adriano Cefai, who acts as its sole director and company secretary.

The Shift, a Maltese investigative news outlet, was quick to question the opaqueness of the deal, alleging that Curia staff had been instructed not to discuss the transaction. The outlet further claimed the Archbishop’s office failed to reply to request for comment.

Further questions have also been raised over the role of Alfred Camilleri, who concurrently sat on the CPHCL’s board while serving on the Curia's financial committee including, notably, at the time the Casa Leone deal was struck. Nova.rs has questioned whether Camilleri’s dual board positions represented a conflict of interest.

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Camilleri is also currently facing criminal charges for fraud and dereliction of duty as part of the Vitals Global Healthcare and Steward Healthcare scandal, described by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project as Malta’s “biggest-ever corruption scandal”. Camilleri was only replaced within Corinthia’s leadership in February 2026, 1 year and 9 months after being criminally charged. His present status within the Curia is currently unclear. 

The relationship between the Curia and Corinthia is further complicated by the fact that the Curia and Diocese of Gozo together hold over 67% of the shares in APS Bank, which conducts their board meetings at a Corinthia owned property, the Corinthia Attard. The arrangement certainly points to close ties between the two companies

The Corinthia Group has also been subject to its own controversies in recent years. The hotel brand is said to have received several preferential public contracts from the Maltese government: most notably, an €800,000 contract to build an airstrip in Gozo, despite having no prior experience in the industry.

The Group’s development at Ħal Ferħ has also proved deeply contentious. Reporting by The Shift claimed Corinthia obtained the site for €1.3 million, despite initial valuations suggesting the property could be worth up to €10.3 million, in what may have been a breach of EU state aid rules.

The Curia and Corinthia Group are yet to respond to Nova.rs’ allegations.

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