Disgraced MFSA boss given a new government appointment

Tista’ taqra dan l-artiklu bil-Malti

Joseph Cuschieri, the former Malta Financial Services Authority boss who was forced to resign in 2020 after a damning internal investigation has been given a new government appointment, The Shift can report.

Environment Minister Miriam Dalli has appointed Cuschieri to the chairmanship of the Eco-Contribution Appeals Board, a semi-judicial entity that hears appeals from businesses that contest the eco-tax contributions for products they place on the market.

It is understood the appointment was made on the direct instructions of Prime Minister Robert Abela.

The Office of the Prime Minister has not answered The Shift’s questions about how Cuschieri had been assigned another government appointment after being found in breach of ethical conduct at the MFSA.

Research conducted by The Shift shows that Cuschieri, despite his resignation, was retained Cuschieri on the board of Malta Strategic Partnership Projects Ltd (MSPPL). The government entity was formerly known as Projects Malta until it changed its name after a number of scandalous projects it was involved in, including negotiations on the vitiated Vitals-Steward state hospitals concession

The government agency falls under the direct political remit of Prime Minister Abela.

Cuschieri is also the sole director of a private business – named World Class Hospitality Management Company Ltd – which was established in November 2021 in the wake of his departure from the MFSA.

MSPPL is currently leading several privatisation projects in the hospitality sector including a concession for the iconic Evans Building in lower Valletta and another involving the former Air Malta hotel, the Selmun Palace.

Cuschieri resigned from his position at the MFSA after an internal report found him in ethical breach when he and Edwina Licari, the MFSA General Counsel, travelled to Las Vegas with Yorgen Fenech.

The inquiry, led by former Chief Justice Joseph Azzopardi, found that Cuschieri had acted improperly. The MFSA spent three years hiding the report until it was forced to publish it after a freedom of information request from The Shift.

Cuschieri was also found to be taking a board honoraria that he was not entitled to, which he was asked to return.

He was also found to have bent the rules to recruit Licari to the MFSA.

The Shift has also reported how, last summer, Cuschieri’s 23-year-old daughter Katrina was recruited by Miriam Dalli as a full-time adviser.

Katrina is the granddaughter of President George Vella and Miriam Dalli once worked with Cuschieri at Vodafone.