Second associate of disgraced former MFSA Chief lands government role at Infrastructure Malta

Neil Portelli, a business partner of disgraced former MFSA chief Joseph Cuschieri, has been handed a government-funded position at Infrastructure Malta by CEO Steve Ellul—the latest in a series of politically tainted appointments exposed by The Shift.

Portelli is the second individual closely linked to Cuschieri, who has secured a taxpayer-funded position at the agency. Just six months prior, Cuschieri’s daughter, Katrina, who also worked at Cuschieri’s firm, CP Advisory, was similarly added to the Infrastructure Malta payroll.

The latest recruitment by Infrastructure Malta indicates that all members of Joseph Cuschieri’s private firm are now full-time employees of the government agency.

Investigations by The Shift reveal that Portelli, previously employed with the Malta-EU Steering and Action Committee (MEUSEC), was hired under an indefinite contract as an EU Funds Manager.

His position comes with an annual salary of approximately €44,000, and notably, no public call or external vacancy was issued for the role.

Sources indicate that Portelli had recently registered for employment on the JobsPlus portal—listing a role that matched Infrastructure Malta’s internal recruitment criteria—raising concerns about the use of the portal to bypass open selection processes.

Earlier reports by The Shift revealed that Katrina Cuschieri was awarded a lucrative contract by Ellul shortly after he assumed leadership at the agency. Despite limited experience and being in her early 20s, she was appointed Business Development Manager, with a salary approaching €50,000 per year.

Prior to that, she served as a consultant to Minister Miriam Dalli, who engaged her immediately after she completed her university studies.

Dalli has longstanding personal and professional ties with Joseph Cuschieri, having worked closely with him in the past.

Cuschieri, who was forced to resign from the MFSA following a string of serious ethical and financial misconduct allegations—including a trip to Las Vegas funded by Yorgen Fenech (accused of being involved in the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia) —was appointed CEO of Project Green by Minister Dalli.

Despite his checkered record, he now oversees substantial public funds.

Meanwhile, Ellul, after an unsuccessful bid in the European Parliament elections—despite being the campaign’s top spender—was appointed CEO of Infrastructure Malta, despite his lack of relevant qualifications and experience for the role.