Jason Micallef ‘forced’ to order Christmas tree from Labour suppliers

Culture Minister Owen Bonnici said in parliament that no one was interested in supplying the annual Christmas Tree for Valletta’s main entrance, and the Chairman of the Valletta Cultural Agency, Jason Micallef, was constrained to spend the budgeted €20,000 through a direct order.

According to the Minister, the only supplier found to do the job through direct order was TEC – The Entertainment Company – a supplier for the Labour Party’s mass events during electoral campaigns.

The new information on the massive tree came to light following questions by PN MP Rebekah Borg, who asked the culture minister about the costs of the tree, which was the source of controversy and even ridicule by many, particularly on social media – the tree inspired several memes.

The Valletta Cultural Agency describes the fake tree as “innovative”. It features apertures and limestone balconies, among other structures. Many describe it as more of a symbol of the ongoing national construction frenzy and environmental degradation than Christmas.

Pressed to explain why the procurement of this tree did not follow standard procurement rules, Minister Bonnici said that though Jason Micallef’s agency tried to secure the tree and other Christmas decorations through a tender, no one was interested.

“Given the circumstances, the agency had to find a contractor directly and quickly ready to provide the required services,” Bonnici said.

Although the minister did not name the beneficiary, Micallef commissioned TEC Ltd, which is owned by Charles Magro, who has been the main contractor of Labour’s electoral campaigns since 2013.

Since Labour set foot in Castille, Magro has been commanding large government contracts for government events, including the metro launch that never saw the light of day. He has expanded his business interests significantly, primarily from multi-million-euro government contracts given to his companies.

Besides TEC Ltd, Magro is a shareholder in a number of other companies related to government-sponsored events, including ACT FX Malta Ltd, in which Nexos lighting contractors and One TV director Jason Busuttil are also shareholders.

Magro also co-owns many other companies, including CMN Services Ltd, Festivals Malta Ltd, Formac Malta Ltd, Exquisite Holdings Ltd and IStage Ltd.