Paul Anthony Formosa, a Maltese operations manager killed in Somalia, has been described by former colleagues as a lively man always looking for ways to improve and challenge himself.

“Paul was a family man and a delight to speak to. Even if you disagreed with him, you’d enjoy the argument,” Stephen Calleja, who worked with Mr Formosa for 18 years at the Malta Freeport, told Times of Malta.

The 52-year old was killed by gunmen from the terrorist group Al Shabaab in the Somali port of Bosaso on Monday. He was attacked while at work for P&O ports, a subsidiary of the Dubai-based global operator DP World.

Mr Calleja said his former colleague, with whom he had remained in touch and who regularly visited the Freeport on his trips back to Malta, had always been an ideas man who would look for ways to improve any situation he found himself in.

Starting off as an operations clerk in 1993, Mr Formosa had proven himself a capable employee and towards the end of his time at the Malta Freeport had been working on consulting and commissioning cranes to other terminals forming part of the same group of companies.

He left the Freeport in 2011 for the post of operations manager at the terminal in Lattakia in Syria.

Even if you disagreed with him, you’d enjoy the argument

“He was always looking for the next challenge. He wanted to make things happen. He was professionally ambitious and moved around a lot even at the Freeport,” Mr Calleja said.

The Malta Freeport also paid tribute to its former employee.

“Paul was a hardworking employee, lively, open-minded and loved by his colleagues,” CEO Alex Montebello said in a statement.

“We are extremely shocked to learn of this attack and our thoughts are with his family during this most difficult time.

“Paul had a very good relationship with the freeport and he visited the terminal regularly whenever he came to Malta. He will be missed.”