Malta Enterprise forks out €1.3 million in sponsorships in 2 years

Former Malta Enterprise CEO Kurt Farrugia disbursed €1.3 million in sponsorships in 2023 and 2024, according to information tabled in parliament.

Labour statistician Vincent Marmara, the Chamber of SMEs (GRTU), Sigma, former NET TV CEO Anton Attard and former MZPN president Mark Grech are among the major recipients.

They are being highlighted because questions have been raised about whether the public funds spent had anything to do with foreign direct investment, which is Malta Enterprise’s remit.

Farrugia was the communications chief for disgraced former prime minister Joseph Muscat. He was given the position at Malta Enterprise a few weeks before Muscat was forced to resign.

Farrugia was removed from Malta Enterprise last summer and given the CEO position at Transport Malta.

The information was tabled by Economy Minister Silvio Schembri following questions by PN MP Ryan Callus.

Marmara, who conducts political surveys for the Labour Party, was given some €12,000 in sponsorship payments for his ‘State of the Nation’ survey he conducted with Lou Bondi – another government consultant. The survey was used for an annual conference organised by the Office of the President.

Greatt Ltd, a media company owned by former Net TV CEO Anton Attard and Mark Grech, better known as ‘il-Guru’ when he was president of the PN youth section, produces subsidised local television productions on TVM mainly focused on reality shows. It received €120,000 from Malta Enterprise.

The Chamber of SMEs, known as the GRTU, whose representatives sit on the board of Malta Enterprise, received four sponsorships worth over €100,000.

The Malta Chamber of Commerce, another independent body whose representative also sits on the Malta Enterprise board, received over €42,000 in payments.

Under Kurt Farrugia’s direction, SiGMA, which organises a commercial event annually for the gaming industry, was given €240,000.

Malta Enterprise also paid Content House €10,000. The company does public relations and clickbait content and is owned by former Times of Malta journalist Jesmond Bonello.