Economy and Lands Minister Silvio Schembri continues to shower favours upon his long-time friend, INDIS Malta Deputy Chairman Francois Piccione, with his wife Antonella joining him on the state payroll – at the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA).

Senior MGA officials told The Shift that when Silvio Schembri landed the MGA portfolio, the ministry pushed for a quick interview with the employee of gaming company NetEnt and for her to be recruited.

“Little did we know at that time that Antonella happened to be the girlfriend of Francois, the minister’s right-hand man who also spent time at the MGA,” one senior official remarked.

The MGA did not answer questions when asked for a copy of her contract, as well as whether she had applied for the job through the proper channels. The Authority was also asked for details about her role and annual remuneration.

Confirming that Antonella Piccione had been recruited at the MGA as an Authorisation Officer, the Authority declined to give any further details, stating that her position is not managerial.

The Shift received the new information following its report revealing that Francois Piccione, in his early 30s, had been handpicked by Minister Schembri for the deputy chairmanship of INDIS Malta, the state agency responsible for government-owned industrial estates.

The canvasser, a childhood friend of Schembri who has been working for him in various roles since 2013, is on a €101,000 package, almost double the minister’s remuneration.

Piccione made his name as Silvio Schembri’s consultant on the failed ‘Blockchain Island’ cryptocurrency project.

Apart from employment at INDIS, Piccione has also been appointed chairman of the Malta Crafts Foundation. According to the minister, he is not receiving any additional remuneration for this role.