Four companies that provide logistics and organisational support to the Labour Party have been given €640,000 in direct orders in connection with ‘Muzika, Muzika’, a song festival being held a week before the general election.

The Shift is informed that the government is using the negotiated procedure – a form of direct order – to pay €210,000 to Nexos & Company Ltd, €141,000 to Ray Vella & Co for the provision of LED screens, €140,000 Besteam for audio, and €150,000 to TEC Ltd for building the festival stage.

‘Muzika, Muzika’ was the idea of former Labour TV presenter and Chairman of Festivals Malta Norman Hamilton, who was appointed to head the state agency soon after returning from London, where he served as Malta’s High Commissioner during the tenure of Prime Minister Joseph Muscat.

Norman Hamilton

Nexos & Company Ltd provides lighting systems for all Labour Party activities. Ray Vella & Co provides audio-visual displays. TEC Ltd is responsible for Labour Party stages, including those used at mass meetings. And Be Support Team Ltd, better known as Besteam, provides audio services.

These companies have received millions of euros of taxpayers’ funds in direct orders and contracts related to all major events organised by the government during the last eight years, including events related to Malta’s rotating presidency of the Council of the EU, the 2015 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, and concerts organised by the MTA under disgraced former Minister Konrad Mizzi.

Sources in the events industry told The Shift that private concert organisers seeking government sponsorship for their events have been recommended to use the services of these companies by senior government officials.

Employees of the four companies have been seen attending Labour Party activities on a daily basis in the lead up to the general election, mounting stages and tents, organising audio-visual displays and helping with other logistics. Events industry sources told The Shift that if Labour had to pay these companies during an election campaign, costs would run to millions of euros.