‘Self-employed’ Gozo ministry employee given hundreds of thousands in government contracts

A government employee, who also describes himself as “self-employed”, owns private businesses that have received public contracts from his employer, the Gozo Ministry, and a minister he lobbied for during the general elections.

Jeffrey Farrugia, also president of the football club Xewkija Tigers, is employed by the Gozo Ministry as a full-time foreman. He also owns a private company, Be Clean Ltd, which received a €436,000 contract to provide cleaning services at the same ministry, official records show.

During the same year, Farrugia’s same company was awarded another contract by another Gozo minister – Anton Refalo’s Agriculture and Fisheries ministry. The contract was worth €300,000 and foresaw the management of fisheries facilities in Mgarr, Marsalforn and Xlendi in Gozo.

Farrugia has also publicly canvassed for Refalo. The Shift asked Refalo about any personal or political association with Farrugia, to which he replied that there was none.

The Shift asked Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri to state where exactly Farrugia works as a foreman within the Gozo ministry, but he did not reply to questions.

Sources who spoke to The Shift on condition of anonymity said that “conveniently, foreman Farrugia has been assigned by the ministry to take care of the sports facilities (ground) of the Xewkija Tigers, of which he is also the president”. They described Farrugia’s posting as “another phantom job among the many we have in Gozo”.

They confirmed that Farrugia is often seen tending to his many private businesses during the day, including a construction company (C&F Manufacturing Ltd) he owns with another partner, the cleaning and fisheries companies he is managing as per government tender, and Anfield Catering Ltd, among others.

The latter manages the Liverpool FC supporters club and the Universal Sports Bar and Grill, both in Gozo.

Government employees are supposed to inform their employer and get permission for any private business they conduct and are expected to avoid any potential or actual conflicts of interest.