Abela reveals another perk for the Muscats… a car for Michelle

Prime Minister Robert Abela has admitted another perk he has given to his predecessor as part of the secret severance package arranged for disgraced former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat.

This time, following questions raised in parliament by PN MP Claudette Buttigieg, Abela conceded that Michelle Muscat was given the use of a fully expensed car, bought and funded by the government.

Michelle has had no role in public administration except for being the wife of a prime minister still hounded by corruption allegations over deals selling State assets and services.

While Abela avoided answering all the questions surrounding this latest abuse by the Muscats, he insisted that Michelle Muscat’s car was “part of the severance package” given to his predecessor in December 2019.

He refused to say what type of car Michelle Muscat uses and whether taxpayers are also funding its running costs, including fuel and maintenance.

He did say she has no full-time driver to chauffer her around in the government’s car. Yet, sources who spoke to The Shift said this was done by “employees who act as her servants” at the Marigold Foundation.

It was The Shift that revealed the severance package taxpayers had been forced to give the disgraced former prime minister.

Yet questions on why taxpayers are still funding the wife of the disgraced former prime minister – funds she is not entitled to receive as she had no role in government – have always been ignored.

Robert Abela, through the Office of the Prime Minister, is refusing to make this agreement public, saying there is no such formal written agreement in place.

While Abela continues to hide what he has agreed to hand to his predecessor, The Shift has already revealed several perks forming part of this package.

The first was a €120,000 golden handshake which Muscat was given just a few weeks before his forced departure as part of the so-called terminal benefits.

His handshake was much higher than those awarded to other former prime ministers, and the government has refused to explain how it was calculated.

Another part of the package was revealed by The Shift last year when it resulted that Muscat was squatting a former Transport Malta building in Sa Maison to conduct his private consultancy business, including to property contractors and developers and service providers at the centre of corrupt deals sealed by those closest to him while he was at the helm.

The office, with views of the harbour, was refurbished and equipped by public funds, and Muscat is paying nothing for its lease.

“He is just tolerated to use this office,” Abela said.

Since all the perks given to Muscat were never divulged, it is unknown whether this so-called unique severance package contains more perks for the disgraced Muscat family.

No other former prime minister in Malta’s history has been given the perks dished out to the Muscats.

Joseph and Michelle Muscat lobbied for Robert Abela to win the leadership of the Labour Party despite deputy leader Chris Fearne leading the polls.

The “devil’s deal” struck between the Abelas and the Muscats continues to raise concerns about Abela’s ability to protect the nation’s interests on deals such as that relating to hospitals that the Court recently ruled was “fraudulent and corrupt” that was sealed and delivered by Muscat.