Former Labour MP Jean Claude Micallef has been ordered to return €43,000 that he had borrowed from his ex-partner to buy a property and a jetski but had failed to repay.

Madam Justice Anna Felice, presiding the First Hall of the Civil Court, ruled that Micallef must pay the plaintiff, Antonella Mizzi, with whom Micallef had been in a relationship between 2017 and 2021.

In 2020, Micallef had shown an interest in purchasing a penthouse in Marsaxlokk and had asked Mizzi, his then girlfriend, to lend him the €60,000 he needed as a deposit. The couple entered into private writing to this effect, by which Micallef had bound himself to return the money by June 2021 at the latest.

A promise of sale for the €145,000 property was duly entered into on 6 August 2020, with Micallef paying a 10% deposit together with a €25,500 payment on account. 

Mizzi had exhibited bank statements and WhatsApp chats between the parties to demonstrate how, on the day of the promise of sale, she had also transferred a total of €40,000 to the vendors, on Micallef’s instructions. On that date, Mizzi had also loaned another €20,000 to Micallef, in cash.

The court observed that through the private writing, the defendant had bound himself to pay back the €60,000 and had sent Mizzi several WhatsApp messages to reassure her that he would.

But he had ultimately failed to keep his side of the bargain. After Mizzi had sent Micallef several informal reminders, Micallef eventually made three part-payments. In May 2022, he repaid €10,000 to the woman in cash, followed by another cash payment of €8,000 in August that year. His last payment, of €2,000, had been made on his behalf by means of a cheque issued by Impel Communications Limited. These part-payments still left the balance of €40,000 outstanding, for which sum Mizzi had then filed a judicial letter for.

In addition to the loans, the court noted that Micallef had also failed to transfer €3,000 to his girlfriend, which had been paid into his BOV account for the sale of a jetski belonging to her.

The claim was upheld with the judge, having seen the various documents, bank statements and chats exhibited by the plaintiff, noting that although he had been present in court, Micallef “had failed to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the court that he had any defences to make.”

Lawyers Francesca Mifsud and Marlon Borg represented the plaintiff, while lawyer Antonio Depasquale was defence counsel.