Transport Minister Ian Borg keeps disgraced former MFSA boss on board

Transport Minister Ian Borg has decided to retain disgraced former MFSA chief Joseph Cuschieri as a member of the board of directors of Strategic Partnership Projects Ltd (Projects Malta).

Cuschieri was forced to resign from his role at the MFSA after having been outed travelling to Las Vegas with Yorgen Fenech, accused of commissioning the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.

Cuschieri had initially resisted pressure to resign but was left with no option as more revelations emerged, including how he was receiving additional pay for attending board meetings that were part of his job.

He was also personally involved in recruiting Edwina Licari as General Consul on a €100,000 financial package as part of an indefinite contract – a post she still retains. The two had worked together at the helm of the Malta Gaming Authority.

The two were close, with Licari accompanying Cuschieri on the Las Vegas trip paid for by Fenech. The Shift also revealed that the pair had travelled together on overseas business trips some 38 times, costing taxpayers some €0.5 million.

Apart from Cuschieri, Ian Borg’s board also includes Frederick Azzopardi, Alfred Camilleri, David Matrenza and James Piscopo, who resigned from the Lands Authority while under investigation.

Labour MP Jonathan Attard is the board’s secretary. He is a partner in a legal firm together with Charlon Gouder and Joe Gerada who is also the lawyer of Strategic Partnership Projects Ltd.

Both Attard and Gerada used to work for former economy minister Chris Cardona.

Yes for Ian, no for Clayton

The Shift is also informed that Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo did not follow the transport minister’s example and instead decided to remove Cuschieri from any role related to his ministry.

Following a reshuffle of the board of Safe City Malta – another government entity that had to study proposals for the implementation of a pilot facial recognition project in Paceville – Cuschieri was removed as chairman of the board.

Bartolo appointed Omar Debono who also occupies the role of chief operations officer of Indis Malta – the government’s arm for the management of industrial estates.

Both Strategic Partnership Projects Ltd and Safe City Malta have been dormant in recent years, despite hundreds of thousands spent on remuneration to board members.

Meanwhile, Joseph Cuschieri has also set up a private company, World Class Hospitality Management Company Ltd, of which he is the sole owner and director.

Featured photo shows Joseph Cuschieri and Yorgen Fenech on a yacht.