Prime Minister Robert Abela has been strongly advised to send a public signal of disapproval and cut ties with his disgraced predecessor Joseph Muscat over recent revelations, but, The Shift is reliably informed, has so far refrained from doing so for fear of a party backlash.
“Abela was told by his ‘kitchen cabinet’ that he should, for example, stop letting Muscat make free use of the government office in Sa Maison to conduct his private business,” one political insider, a senior government official, told The Shift.
“And that could easily be done since there are no contracts. Abela would at least be perceived as having taken some form of action in the wake of more revelations linking Muscat to the money trails of the fraudulent hospitals’ concession.”
The Shift is, however, informed the prime minister believes it is not the right time for such a move.
Muscat using Sa Maison office on ‘tolerance basis’ – OPM
The Shift asked the Office of the Prime Minister for a copy of an agreement or contract for Muscat’s use of the Sa Maison Office, which was upgraded and refurbished just before Muscat began using it.
The OPM confirmed there is no contract or anything else in writing: “The office in question is public property and there are no contracts.”
Joseph Muscat is using the top floor of this public building in Sa Maison for his private business.
“Joseph Muscat is using the office only on a ‘tolerance basis’ and only as long as Robert Abela lets him do so,” the OPM said.
The OPM did not reply when asked to explain why Muscat, who no longer holds any public office, is being given free use of public property even though he declared €500,000 in turnover from his consultancies in 2020 alone.
Joseph Muscat’s tax declaration.
€75,000: taxpayers’ bill for former PM’s five-year Alfa lease
The OPM did supply a copy of a contract it had with vehicle leasing company Burmarrad Commercials.
According to that contract, taxpayers are paying a total of €75,000 for the five-year lease for the Alfa Romeo Giulia that Muscat is using.
The contract excludes fuel and maintenance, which are also being footed separately by taxpayers and which, in 2022 alone, cost €5,000.
As part of his severance package, Muscat has also been given a full-time driver and a full-time personal assistant.
He has also been afforded a fully-expensed car to be used by his wife Michelle, who never held any public office, and the payment of bills including mobile phones, internet, water and electricity and other perks.
Joseph and Michelle Muscat on their ‘farewell tour’ just before the former prime minister stepped down in disgrace in January 2020 following public protests against corruption.
Muscat claims €260,000 in expenses
Even though a good portion of Muscat’s overheads is being covered by the state, to the tune of around €300 a day, he nevertheless declared business expenses in the region of €260,000 for 2020.
According to tax rules, the self-employed can reduce their taxable income by claiming expenses. These must, however, be backed by receipts for actual business-related expenses.
According to sources at the tax department, an expense claim of more than 50% of turnover, such as Muscat’s, usually sets off alarm bells at the Inland Revenue Department and an audit can be triggered.
This holds especially true when considering the bulk of Muscat’s business expenses are being covered by the state. It is unknown whether Inland Revenue Commissioner Joseph Caruana, who was made a permanent secretary by Muscat, ordered a probe.
—And the non-thinking, brain dead MLP happy clappers STILL support this kind of filth?
And I have to be careful and watch my expences to eat away as little as possible from what I saved to top up my pension each month because the famous joke that Mintoff played on us that we will be receiving a pension that will reflect 2/3 of the salary turned out to be another Labour con.
Putting the con in consultant.
Perhaps they should relocate the swimming pool Bingemma Sqatters to one of Joseph’s rooms. Silvio Schembri has been searching low and high for an alternate accommodation for these starving Bar-B-Qers. Joseph Muscat can certainly afford a garage rent looking at his declared income.
There is only one word for this greed – disgusting. I cannot understand how the general public tolerates such blatant abuse. Just look at the Marigold Foundation’s expenses and ‘business operations’. It is a well-known fact that this outfit is simply an enabler for his ‘spouse’ to show off. As a starting point, we should all be protesting in front of Muscat’s office – at least in that way we will deny him use of this public asset. And what about the BoV shareholders ?? How do they tolerate the murky transfer of the Bank’s charitable foundation to this criminal duo?
Abela is simply creating a generous precedent for the day he steps down or is shown the door.
It appears that somebody is well insured, in one way or another, against all possible damage potentially ensuing from ratting.
Bonnie Michelle and Clyde Joseph!
They increasingly fit the bill.
U kif jiftah halqu l-Kummissarju tat-Taxxi… jheddu li se jikxef il-haxi ta huh. (Ghal min ma jafx, hu l-Kumm, kien mixli li qed jitlob 10% fuw €8 miljuni pagamenti lil kuntratturi. Gie lliberat ghax b’kumbinazzjoni hadu zbal fil-posizzjoni li kellu. Dan meta dan l-istess Kumm kien Perm.Sec fil-Ministeru tal-Edikazzjoni taht Evarist Bartolo)
The strata of dirt just keep getting denser and thicker, and the MLP carpet over them more and more expensive for the taxpayer. A glaring indictment of a failed public education system, if ever I saw one. That ain’t rain running down your backs, you ignorant cretins.
Giddieb, halliel korrott u qarrieq