Standards Commissioner asked to investigate Schembri, Cutajar following The Shift’s reports

Sean Montebello - 27. March. 2023

Commissioner for Standards in Public Life Joseph Azzopardi has been asked to investigate Economy Minister Silvio Schembri and Rosianne Cutajar respectively for the misuse of ministerial staff and undeclared income by civil society NGO Repubblika President Robert Aquilina.

The first of the complaints follows The Shift’s reports on Schembri’s use of ministerial staff at his private constituency offices in Siġġiewi and Luqa. The offices were linked to local developer Anton Camilleri, with Schembri refusing the divulge whether their use is leased or donated.

Schembri’s constituency office in Luqa was built by developer Paul Attard, a director and shareholder of GAP Developments. Attard made headlines recently as he is set to acquire public land in Mellieħa for a pittance using a rarely applied clause in a Lands Authority tender.

Schembri’s second constituency office in Siġġiewi is owned by Anton Camilleri, the developer behind the controversial Villa Rosa mega-project slated for St George’s Bay in St Julian’s. The development has faced stiff public criticism for its impacts on the area.

Repubblika President Robert Aquilina pointed to Schembri’s behaviour in parliament as further evidence of his misconduct.

This is the second request that Commissioner Azzopardi has received to investigate Schembri, with independent politician Arnold Cassola calling for Schembri’s misuse of staff to be investigated on 21 March.

In relation to his official request for investigation, Cassola said, “Unfortunately, filthy political behaviour has become the order of the day,” calling it “a blatant abuse of his ministerial position.”

Repubblika’s second letter asked for the Standards Commissioner to investigate Rosianne Cutajar as she failed to declare income made from a consultancy with the Institute of Tourism Studies, whose contract The Shift revealed.

Cutajar’s ITS contract for €28,000 yearly featured a starting date which contradicted WhatsApp chats Cutajar sent to businessman Yorgen Fenech, one of the alleged masterminds behind the Daphne Caruana Galizia assassination.

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M.Galea

2 years ago

Ministru juza binja ta’ kuntrattur, l istess kuntrattur li ser jinghata art pubblika min dal ministru stess! U qisu xejn mhu xejn! They are all in it together!

Guest

Thomas

2 years ago

There’s something to this, not quite an explanation and by no means an excuse, but merely a hint to the Joseph Muscat era, which officially has ended, but inofficially continues. The core of all that is in my opinion:

Laissez-faire leadership:

‘Laissez-fair leaders have an attitude of trust and reliance on their employees. They don’t micromanage or get too involved, they don’t give too much instruction or guidance. Instead laissez-faire leaders let their employees use their creativity, resources, and experience to help them meet their goals.’

This is quoted from the website of http://www.wgu.edu, found via google search by the terms ‘laissez-faire leadership’. I think that the description of it very much matches the style of Joseph Muscat as the then leader of the PL and PM of Malta. In other words, Muscat ‘raised’ his high ranking fellow PLers in just that style and that’s why

‘Unfortunately, filfthy political behaviour has become the order of the day’ and ‘a blatant abuse of (his) ministerial position’. Everything has it’s two sides, the positive and the negative, in case of the PL, the negative outweighs the positives by far, in standards, conduct and reputation as a result of all that.

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Dzam

2 years ago

Wasn?t Minister Silvio Schembri also investigated by the Auditor in connection with the business centre located in Zejtun? What happened to that controversy?

There are so many filthy deals going on that we tend to forget all about them!

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Joshua

2 years ago

Il-problema li jilhaq jirtira l-Kummissarju tal-Istandards u l-investigazzjoni tkun ghadha ma bdietx!

Guest

Nuxellina

2 years ago

Pigs don’t fly

Guest

viv

2 years ago

Excuse me – but the 2/3rds commissioner merely enables?

Guest

H2O

2 years ago

The PM is buying a pink pram for Ms Yors truly!

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Mark

2 years ago

U fil-binja tal-kuntrattur idahhal il-haddiema li ghandu fil-Ministeru mhallsin minna, li suppost jaqduna irrispettivament minn min ikun il-Ministru, u li suppost jaqduna minghajr il-bzonn li nirrikorru ghall-ufficcju tal-kostitwenza. U li suppost – skont il-kodici tal-etika – ma jinvolvux ruhhom f’hidma ancillari li tikkomprometti xogholhom.

Guest

Out of Curiosity

2 years ago

Rosianne Cutajar in particular is the true reflection of the soul of the Labour Party today, as instead of having her hiding in a well shielded place, away from humanity, due to her unlimited arrogance, sheer ignorance and utter selfishness, she continues to expose herself as if nothing happens, after all the humiliation that she brought to herself and the political class. Now she took the liberty to tell us that she is going to give birth to a baby girl, and to add insult to injury, she did this in a private party, where Deputy Commissioner of Police Ramon Mercieca was also present, as if she wants to send us a clear message that nothing is going to happen to her as she is well linked to the police. Tal-biki, tal-biza u tal-misthija.