‘Super CEO’ lists meetings with chef, patissier to justify free cruise with wife

Pierre Fenech, the government-appointed CEO of the Institute for Tourism Studies (ITS), listed meetings with the chef and pâtissier aboard a luxury cruise ship in 2023 to justify accepting a free cruise around the Mediterranean with his wife.

Fenech, nicknamed ‘Super CEO’ for his concurrent two government jobs as CEO at the ITS and the Mediterranean Conference Centre (MCC), spent five nights on the ship as a guest of Viking Cruises at the same time as the company was negotiating with the ITS to set up an academy in Malta to send its personnel for training.

Fenech took with him on his free cruise invitation another member of his staff, Andrew Debattista, and his partner, the President of the Labour Party at the time, Ramona Attard.

The two couples flew to Ancona, Italy, from where they boarded the brand-new cruise ship Viking Saturn, visiting ports in Croatia, Greece, and Italy.

The Standards Commissioner started an investigation following The Shift’s reports and an official complaint by independent candidate Arnold Cassola. He did not delve into Fenech’s reported conflict of interest.

The Commissioner said that while it was questionable from an ethical point of view whether Fenech was to accept such an invitation, he concluded that the tourism ministry, through its Permanent Secretary Anthony Gatt, found no problem approving Fenech’s participation since the costs to the ministry were minimal.

Gatt defended Fenech’s free cruise as a “working experience”, during which Fenech held several meetings.

Yet Fenech’s meetings were minimal, according to a travel report prepared. They included ‘meetings’ with the ship’s chef and pâtissier – that’s how busy Pierre Fenech was.

During the investigation, Permanent Secretary Anthony Gatt said he felt that it was important for the ITS to have the opportunity to see what goes on during such a cruise, particularly this one, which was a maiden voyage, given discussions ongoing at the time between the ITS and Viking Cruises.

Gatt explained that the ITS was about to establish a training academy with the Swiss cruise line company.

Negotiations stalled after Fenech’s free cruise, and the project was discontinued. No explanation was given.

Pierre Fenech has been in the headlines for years, particularly for his direct involvement in drafting and approving a fake consultancy contract for Labour MP Rosianne Cutajar at the ITS.

However, he kept his place on Prime Minister Robert Abela’s orders, saying, “Fenech was just obeying orders” from sacked Minister Konrad Mizzi.

Apart from his role at the ITS, Fenech is also the CEO of the Mediterranean Conference Centre (MCC).

His position is unique in the public sector.

When quizzed in parliament on how Fenech could dedicate time to managing both institutions, Tourism Minister Bartolo could not provide details on how much time Fenech spent at both his places of work but insisted that he was “giving great results.”

An audit by the NAO issued a few days ago on the running of the MCC found total mismanagement and waste of public funds.

So far, Ian Borg, the new tourism minister, has kept Fenech leading both government organisations.

Fenech is from Dingli, Minister Ian Borg’s political stronghold. He is paid over €125,000 for his work.