More public money for Stagno Navarra, moved to Plant Protection Directorate

Labour propagandist Karl Stagno Navarra has been transferred to the government’s Plant Protection Directorate in Lija.

Agriculture ministry sources confirmed to The Shift that Stagno Navarra, assigned to work for the Occupational Health and Safety Authority (OHSA) until a few weeks ago, was transferred to the Plant Protection Directorate, but his designation is unknown.

The directorate is based in a quiet garden in Lija known as the Commander’s Garden. It employs a highly specialised team of experts knowledgeable about plant genetic resources to provide expertise to the farming community.

Stagno Navarra does not have a university degree and lacks expertise or knowledge in the area. His transfer is described by colleagues “as more of a safe place where he can do whatever he pleases without any extra attention.”

The sources said that Stagno Navarra is not regularly present at his new place of work. When The Shift called the Plant Protection Directorate yesterday and asked to speak to him, a government official said he was not there.

“Can you please call him on his mobile, as he will not be coming in today,” the officer replied.

The Shift asked when Stagno Navarra was usually at his place of work. The officer said he did not know.

Sources said that director Dennis Sciberras was told from above “to be a bit lenient” with the Labour propagandist.

This is not the first time the government has used the Plant Protection Directorate to place certain government employees who do not need to be present at work very often.

The same Plants Directorate employs Yana Borg Debono Grech, Labour’s minority leader at the Birkirkara local council and granddaughter of fiery former Labour minister Joe Debono Grech. Sources said she is also “regularly out on meetings”.

Stagno Navarra spent years acting as a PN propagandist on NET TV until he was fired over fraud claims and a mountain of outstanding debts for which he is renowned. He jumped on Labour’s bandwagon in 2013 and started presenting programmes on Labour’s ONE TV bashing his former employers.

The serial fraudster was put on the government payroll and showered with consultancies, including at the Office of the Prime Minister. His jobs included stints at Malta Enterprise, Air Malta and the OHSA. His presence at work was always irregular as he spent time preparing for his programmes at the Labour TV studios.

Last June, following fresh claims of more debts and new court proceedings, Prime Minister Robert Abela ordered Stagno Navarra’s axing from Labour’s TV station. Abela’s decision only came following his party’s dismal results at the MEP elections.

According to ongoing court proceedings, Stagno Navarra currently has three outstanding bills to settle: one with his lawyer Jean Paul Sammut (€3,515), another with Jean Pierre Schembri (€9,795), and one with Byon Jo Zammit, a former One TV cameraman who is claiming €3,730 through an official letter in court.