Two more ministers’ partners appointed to a government company board

Prime Minister Robert Abela’s cabinet members are finding innovative ways of skirting the Ministerial Code of Ethics by having their family members employed by other ministries.

The Shift is informed that the latest round of such appointments came courtesy of Economy Minister Silvio Schembri.

Schembri has appointed Culture Minister Owen Bonnici’s partner Remenda Grech and Parliamentary Secretary Andy Ellul’s partner Claudia Cuschieri to the Kordin Grain Terminal’s board of directors.

While the Ministerial Code of Ethics strictly precludes ministers and parliamentary secretaries from giving any appointments to members of their immediate families, current cabinet members are circumventing the rules by having their family members appointed, and remunerated, by their cabinet colleagues.

Remenda Grech – a social worker who has been promoted to a directorship at the Foundation for Social Welfare Services since becoming Minister Owen Bonnici’s partner – has now also been made a Kordin Grain Terminal director.

This is not the first appointment given to one of Bonnici’s partners. When he was in a relationship with former ONE TV reporter Janice Bartolo in 2014, Bonnici appointed her to the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra’s board. The minister had at the time justified Bartolo’s appointment by saying it had been made before they were a couple.

Schembri’s other appointee to the Kordin Grain Terminal’s board, Parliamentary Secretary Andy Ellul’s partner Claudia Cuschieri, is also a former ONE TV reporter who still presents programmes on the station. Until the last election, Cuschieri had been a government spokesperson.

Grech and Cuschieri are but the two latest additions to a long line of ministers’ partners who have been taken on and employed by other ministers.

The Shift has already reported how the wife of Social Accommodation Minister Roderick Galdes, Joanne Galdes, was recently appointed to the WasteServ board of directors thanks to Environment Minister Miriam Dalli.

Maxiline Bonett, Parliamentary Secretary for EU Funds Chris Bonett’s wife, has meanwhile been made a consultant to Agriculture Minister Anton Refalo. She has also been promoted to a senior position at the Lands Authority, which falls under Schembri’s remit.

Minister Schembri has also promoted his wife, Deandra, to a senior position at the Malta Business Registry, which also falls within his ministerial portfolio.

Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri’s wife Deborah Camilleri was recently promoted to senior manager at Transport Malta. She has also been appointed by the Justice Minister as a legal aid lawyer.

Foreign Minister Ian Borg has, meanwhile, recruited Labour MEP Alex Agius Saliba’s wife Sarah Agius Saliba as an advisor.

Schembri’s latest appointments to the Kordin Grain Terminal’s board also include that of lawyer Ian Borg as chairman. Borg was an employee at Abela Advocates, the private law firm of Prime Minister Robert Abela and his wife Lydia.

The terminal’s other directors – Donatielle Abela, Nataline Farrugia, Jeremy Galea and Vernalise Scicluna – all hail from Schembri’s electoral districts, as does company secretary Sharlo Camilleri.