A former reporter on Labour’s ONE TV, Anthony David Gatt, has been given a top job at Malta Enterprise and quickly climbed the ranks to chief officer within a few years.
In addition, his long-time girlfriend, Nadia Pace, who was appointed to the government agency’s board of directors between 2015 and 2016, is now serving as a consultant to her boyfriend’s employer, receiving regular direct orders.
Gatt, who had no experience in foreign direct investment when he left ONE TV soon after Labour was elected to power in 2013, spent a short time at a small private firm organising government-sponsored events until he was recruited at Malta Enterprise as Head of department.
Soon after, Kurt Farrugia, the spokesman of disgraced former prime minister Joseph Muscat was catapulted to the post of CEO at Malta Enterprise and put on a €180,000 remuneration package. Gatt soon moved to his office as his assistant.
An internal call was then issued by Malta Enterprise for the post of chief officer to head the communication office of the government agency. Gatt was selected for the post.
Speaking to The Shift, Gatt insisted that all was above board as he was recruited through a public call. He said his promotion only happened “after a full selection process, which included an external interviewing board”.
Asked whether he played any role in recruiting his girlfriend, Nadia Pace, as a consultant at his workplace through direct orders, Gatt did not reply. Instead, he referred The Shift to the agency’s communications office, which he is also heading.
Completely ignoring the connection and potential gross conflict of interest in the fact that Pace and Gatt are partners, Antoinette Cefai, a manager in Gatt’s office, said that her appointment as an external consultant “is public and duly documented in the Government Gazette”.
No call was made for the consultancy Pace is giving to Malta Enterprise. She was handpicked by a direct order costing of €26,000 a year. Her direct order was signed by Kurt Farrugia, who used to work with Gatt at ONE TV.
According to Malta Enterprise, Gatt’s girlfriend is tasked “with working on various projects within the organisation, from investment promotion in the UK to other countries to coordinating work on Brexit as well as working on various strategic projects and corporate development”.
Apart from Kurt Farrugia, the agency had also employed the former PN propagandist turned Labour Karl Stagno Navarra. And Farrugia’s deputy at ONE TV and later at Castille, Nigel Vella, was also given a permanent job at Malta Enterprise.
The Shift had revealed that without even spending a day at his desk at Malta Enterprise, Vella was immediately given long leave by Farrugia so he could join the home affairs minister as his consultant, with better pay and perks than those offered at Malta Enterprise.
Yet, if there is a change of minister or government, Vella can return to his job at Malta Enterprise.
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There is no doubt that the direct contracts given to his girl friend implies conflict of interest. The fact that his partner?s yearly contract is being published on the Gov Gazzette, after the award, does not mean that the process is clean. It is only being reported because law stipulates that any direct order which exceeds ?5,000 is to be published on the Gov Gazette. Ask him whether Malta Enterprise got the go ahead from the direct orders office before awarding, since law stipulates also that any direct contract exceeding ?10,000 has to be accepted by this office first. The Direct Orders Office is part of the Ministry of Finance. Ask them instead.
Super One is the Labour Party apprenticeship scheme. They are trained in Omerta , Government propaganda , The result is party lackys paid from our taxes to do fuck all . Then they pull in with them their partners from all the colours of the distorted rainbow , as consultants . Their consulting results can be seen for all to see. Cancer Treatment Equipment that goes poof in summer because of incompetence. Underpasses that are invented at the end of a project delaying the project by 2 years. Ghadira Road widening project that has become the Laughing stock of the population and the poison pill for those Gahans that have to keep their mouth shut except to shout Prosit Ministru , even when being screwed.
COSA NOSTRA or else COSA NOSTRA MA PAGATA DA NOI. It has become disgusting and unbearable to keep up with all this.
Il-weghda ta taghna lkoll – tal- MUVUMENT KORROT- is being implented 100% and the rest go to hell. Is-sittin elf li ma vvutax, dawk li vvutaw ghall- partiti ohra u l-oppozizzjoni reqdin biex jaccetttaw dawn l-iskanndli kollha, li jfisser li kulhadd by default huwa korrott. M’hemmx tama f’mafiaMalta.
Surely no one should wonder why we have so many wimps in top positions!
Are or were any top positions actually filled after a fair selection process? – Here I expressly include ROBBER Abela.
In my opinion, this is about public theft.
Le le vera serju dan il-Prim Ministru. Kullhadd jaghmel li jrid. Promozzjonijiet bl-addocc u l-hadt iehor iwarrbu ghax forsi kienu vicin Joseph Muscat. Jekk Muscat kien jizbalja, Robert Abela mhux ahjar minnu. Chief Officers, Chief Executive Officers b’pagi fenomenali. Fejn hi îs-serjeta? Sfortunatament l-oppozzizjoni hija dgajjfa u ma tista’ taghmel xejn. Bi tghajjir u thammig ta’ certu nies ma terbahx elezzjoni. Awguri Sur Gatt sewa li dejjem tigri u tilghaq lil tal-Partit ghax taw promozzjoni lilek u li tfajla tieghek ukoll.
And the Minister of Finance wants the ministries to save 200 million in expenses by the end of the year. PAROLE, PAROLE, PAROLE.
Is a due diligence carried out on these senior employees/directors?
Does the MFSA request and approve their personal questionnaire?
ONE TV/media communications, has become the transit lounge for employment treasure chests, filled with the money looted from the taxpayer’s hard earnings.
X’kien ma poggewx lil KSN f’dan il post.
Heqq hekk u hekk xorta mhallas mit taxxi taghna qieghed…u flok jilghab bic combini jaghmel bicca xoghol.
Dan ma nafx jittantax iddahhal xi girlfriend.
Very true.
Veru JAQQ.
Il Malta Enterprise, il Lands u Transport Malta hamguhom u zibbluhom.
So Nadia Pace has been handpicked to serve as an advisor to her boyfriend’s employer, being Malta Enterprise. What does she consult her boyfriend about? Or does she advise Kurt Farrugia on how to invest his hefty salary?
Dawn it-tip ta’ pozizzjonijiet ilhom isehhu minn zmien zemzem. Jien ma naqbelx maghhom imma hemm bzonn li jsir ftehim bejn iz-zewg partijiet biex ma jibqghux isehhu.
Kull entita tal Gvern spiccat imzibbla b?nies inkapaci jokkupaw pozizjonijiet gholjin, u korrotti sa ruh ommom. Izda jekk ma tkunx ta dan it tip m?ghandekx cans li jkollok success f?dal hmieg ta entitajiet. Naf x?qieghed nghid u nghidu b?responsabbilita kbira.
Why the he11 is this bellend promoting his position at ME in his personal FB page (not account)? Doesn’t ME have its own social media pages? Anthony David Gatt | Facebook