Schembri admits using ministerial staff for his personal constituency offices

Economy Minister Silvio Schembri has gone on the offensive over The Shift’s report about his constituency office in Luqa and attempted to belittle his opposition shadow minister in parliament for asking him to clarify the matter.

But in the process of trying to ridicule the PN’s spokesperson for lands Rebekah Borg, by telling her she “was new and didn’t know parliamentary rules”, he admitted that he is abusing public funds by using publicly-paid employees to staff his private constituency offices.

Following up on a story published recently by The Shift, Borg asked the minister to explain who owns his Luqa constituency office and to declare how much he is paying for the lease.

The office does not form part of Schembri’s ministerial portfolio, it is his private constituency office where he meets with potential voters.

But instead of replying, the visibly uncomfortable minister avoided answering, mocked the opposition MP for asking questions and accused her of not being familiar with the House’s standing orders.

“I know she is new here and doesn’t know the rules about how to table questions. She should look at standing order 26,” the minister said while trying to berate the MP with his side of the aisle.

However, Borg stood her ground and insisted on a reply by explaining the rule the minister was incorrectly quoting stipulating that ministers should be asked about everything involving public affairs.

“Since using public employees for his personal constituency office falls under public affairs, can the minister say whether he is using government-paid employees to man his constituency office,” Borg retorted.

Clearly caught on the wrong foot, Schembri admitted he was deploying members of his private secretariat to his Luqa constituency office.

He argued that members of private secretariats are employees who assist the minister.

“I know that Nationalists don’t like the way we are close to the people, but that is what we are doing to keep people on our side,” he said.

Members of ministers’ private secretariats are paid with taxpayer funds to assist ministers in their duties. This does not, however, include their personal constituency offices.

The Shift has revealed that the lands minister is currently operating two constituency offices – one in Luqa and the other in Siggiewi – that are located in apartment blocks built by leading developers who also form part of the Malta Developers Association’s executive council.

So far, the minister and the blocks’ developers – Paul Attard, a shareholder in GAP Developments and Anton Camilleri, who is behind the Villa Rosa development – are refusing to explain.