It took over a year and a half for Finance Minister Clyde Caruana and Air Malta to come out with the truth about the contract arranged for David Curmi to serve as the national carrier’s executive chairman and his remuneration package of €21,500 a month.
Following The Shift’s revelations of Curmi’s contract and about how Caruana misled Parliament by stating that Curmi was not receiving remuneration as the chairman of Air Malta’s board, research conducted by this newsroom shows how both the minister and Air Malta dug in their heels over a sustained period to keep the contract from public view.
In reply to a pointed parliamentary question by former Opposition MP Jason Azzopardi in January 2022 asking the minister to confirm that Curmi was put on a remuneration package of over €220,000 a year, Caruana avoided answering.
He instead told the House that Curmi’s remuneration was lower than that of the previous chairman and CEO, who were two separate people, combined.
In January 2022, Clyde Caruana refused to answer about the Air Malta chairman’s scandalous contract.
That was in the last legislature.
Still more parliamentary questions followed about Caruana’s appointee – one by former Opposition MP Joe Ellis, who was told that “the information was commercially sensitive”.
Last June, Opposition MP Rebekah Borg specifically asked Caruana to state Curmi’s remuneration package and provide parliament with a copy of his contract.
Once again, the finance minister refused and instead diverted the MP to the ‘answer’ he had given Azzopardi in the previous legislature.
Instead of providing the information last June, Caruana directed the MP to the previous legislature’s non-answer.
Caruana then also directed Air Malta to not reply to freedom of information requests from The Shift.
Last April, The Shift filed a formal freedom of information request with Air Malta for a copy of the chairman/CEO’s contract of engagement, as well as for any remuneration he was receiving from subsidiary companies in which he was involved in his capacity as Air Malta chairman.
Surprisingly, Air Malta’s FOI officer informed The Shift that there was no such contract and that Curmi was not receiving any remuneration even though he also sits on the boards of many of the carrier’s subsidiaries.
Air Malta said there was no contract with its Executive Chairman and that he was not receiving any remuneration for his role.
According to the FOI law, Air Malta was also obliged to pass on the request to any other government entity for which Curmi was being paid through public funds. Air Malta came back stating that after consulting the line ministry, the finance ministry, it considered the case closed and changes could not be made to its reply.
In view of this, The Shift asked Air Malta whether Curmi was working on a voluntary basis but did not receive a reply. In the meantime, The Shift lodged a complaint with the Commissioner for Information and Data Protection to investigate the case. A final decision is still to be taken.
Just a few weeks ago in Parliament, Caruana was asked to produce a list of members of all the ministry’s boards and their respective remuneration.
Again, Caruana avoided furnishing the information and instead produced a document listing David Curmi as “receiving no remuneration”.
Minister Clyde Caruana’s misleading of parliament.
This was far from the truth as according to his contract published by The Shift on Wednesday morning, Curmi is receiving €21,500 a month, including for chairing the Air Malta board.
Still, in a statement in reaction to The Shift’s story, Clyde Caruana insisted he had not lied to Parliament and insisted that Curmi is not being remunerated for chairing the company’s board but, rather, he is “being paid to manage the company”.
According to the contract arranged for him by Caruana, Curmi’s main task and related remuneration is for “the performance of the role of Executive Chairman of Air Malta plc, which includes the role of CEO of the Company.”
Two investigations launched
Following The Shift’s revelations, two separate probes have been initiated into the finance minister – both claiming that he misled Parliament against the provisions of the Standing Orders that guide parliamentary conduct and the Ministerial Code of Ethics, which requires MPs to be truthful.
The Opposition yesterday called upon Speaker of the House Anglu Farrugia and Commissioner for Standards in Public Life Joe Azzopardi to open separate investigations into Caruana’s conduct.
On his part, independent politician Arnold Cassola formally asked Azzopardi to investigate Caruana’s conduct by granting Curmi an “unheard of” €774,000 three-year contract to spearhead a public entity.
Curmi was tasked with turning the ailing airline around but has so far failed to do so. He admitted only a few weeks ago that the national airline is destined to be wound up by the end of this year.
So that lie becomes truth:
The parties involved should have to return the unlawful “HIDDEN” money from their own personal bank accounts.
Furthermore, the amount owed should be doubled as a deterrent.
It must hurt. Personally!
Other European Countries have rules like mentioned.
We need it so badly.
The joke of the century, referring the case to two professional buffons who jester in the Labour circus rings and juggle with the law and regulations to the loud applause of the Labour ring masters.
This is scandalous and heads have to roll.
This has become a habit amongst Ministers giving away sky high salaries way above the ministers’ and PM salary..
It does not make sense unless there is a feed back of funds coming back to the ministers concerned. It is the ONLY reason that makes sense.
Could there be any other reason?
Think out of the box.
This is out of my box.
The minister employs a person in the top job , where there is no control on the salary , because the person is not a civil servant but contracted on a fixed contract.
Salary negotiated.
Everybody agrees.
The salary is issued , and duly taxed . Perfectly clean.
The person gives back in cash or kind a very good part of the salary.
Nobody will investigate anything.
No wonder the Ministers and employees involved hide the contract details behind any reason, from commercial reasons , to Data Protection Act .
Some get direct orders , some get awarded job contracts , but the common factor is the unexplained amount of money involved.
Who needs to rob a bank?
L-unika opportunità li joffri dal-pajjiż hi li tisirqu.
Should a liar be permitted to occupy the Finance Ministry post?
Why change it?
Il-loghob bid-diskors tal-Ministru Caruana xorta ma jeżonorahx. Idur fejn idur, il-kuntratt juri li xorta qarraq bil-Parlament u tmejjel bil-poplu.
F’pajjiż normali, jirreżenja jew jitkecca. F’pajjiż primittiv bhal Malta, naghtuh promotion.
Lilhinn minn dan, il-kaos li holoq fil-pajjiż bl-importazzjoni tac-cheap labour – politika hażina li kkontribwiet ukoll ghall-qtugh ricenti fid-dawl – mhux biss juri l-inkompetenza tieghu ingenerali b’mudell fallut, imma pogga l-pagi tal-maggorparti nett tal-poplu gol-friża. U din ftit li xejn insemmuha.
Every move the Labour government does, stinks to high heaven.
Caruana, who we had thought was “honest”and unlike the other ministers, lied blatantly and must resign. If he does not, then he is no different from the rest of his fellow ministers and will be treated as another pig in the trough.
He should also explain how he is funding the massive villa he is building.
As regards Curmi, he is now Malta’s TOP PIG.
Some of them enter politics to do good but 96% turn to what they can make out of it and unfortunately it doesn’t take long to turn them from Saint to sinner
As if anyone is going to accept the responsibility of an executive role at a company like Airmalta without any remuneration / perks! I cannot understand what makes people think that us citizens can be so gullible.
The truth always will be uncovered even in the fiefdom of Malta.
As Abraham Lincoln so wisely observed “ YOU CANNOT FOOL ALL OF THE PEOPLE ALL OF THE TIME.”
Dammit when the opposition PL and it’s supporters made such a hullabaloo about the Government PN MPs’ €600 per week honoraria, they were obliged to pay back every cent which, PM Joseph Muscat had confirmed on Dissett had been done.
I don’t hear any whimpers coming from PL supporters about all these hniżrijiet.
And I don’t hear enough howling coming from the opposition benches either. Not saying they’re not howling, but certainly not loudly enough for someone like me to have heard them.
You voted and Mr Curmi enjoys the benefits!!!!