Rabat mayor Sandro Craus, facing criminal charges in connection with the phantom job given to the middleman in a journalist’s murder, was given a job with government agency Projects Plus Ltd that includes a generous package and safeguards if fired, The Shift can reveal following a Freedom of Information request.
Craus, who served as chief customer care officer at the OPM in the private secretariat of disgraced former prime minister Joseph Muscat between 2013 and 2020, resigned soon after Robert Abela became prime minister.
When questioned at the time, he said he was going on “gardening leave” and did not know what to do after that.
Now, The Shift can reveal that a mere few weeks later, Craus was given a job as ‘Chief Officer Business Development ‘ at Projects Plus Ltd, a small government company handling project management for public projects.
Craus was given an indefinite contract with a financial package of over €65,000 a year, the Freedom of Information request confirms.
His contract states that his €53,000 basic salary is topped with a performance bonus, a fully expensed car and communication and expense allowances.
Since Craus is also a Labour party activist, primarily leading the Rabat local council, where he is known to spend most of his days, his contract does not specify any fixed time when he should attend his place of work and does not even mention a location where he is supposed to do the job for which taxpayers so generously pay him.
Neither does his contract include a specific job description, with Projects Plus Ltd keeping his role as vague as possible:
“The functions and duties of the employee shall be those laid down by the company from time to time as the employer deems appropriate,” the contract states.
The contract also includes unique conditions seemingly designed for him and which employment lawyers consulted by The Shift deemed to be “unusual”.
It states that if the government decides to terminate his contract for reasons not listed, such as misconduct or redundancy, the government agency is bound to pay Craus the salary plus all allowances covering five years.
Moreover, it adds that “if the employee has been employed with the company for more than five years, the company must be obliged to pay the employee 10 years’ salaries plus all the allowances from the month of termination onwards.”
An excerpt from Sandro Craus’ contract.
His contract was signed by CEO James Camenzuli, appointed by disgraced former minister Konrad Mizzi, who has been banned from travel to the US on orders of the Secretary of State based on “credible information that Mizzi and [Keith] Schembri were involved in a corrupt scheme”.
According to established rules, any government employee undergoing criminal proceedings is automatically suspended and put on half-pay. It is unclear whether this has happened in his case.
Melvin Theuma told the police that Craus had called him for a meeting at the OPM shortly after the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia and offered him a government job. Theuma also admitted that he never turned up for work even though he was receiving a government salary.
Melvin Theuma with former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat’s chief of staff Keith Schembri at the OPM.
Craus, 54, is facing criminal charges with his former boss Keith Schembri – the former prime minister’s chief of staff (also banned from travel to the US) – on theft and misappropriation of funds when handing Theuma a phantom government job.
As chief customer care officer at the OPM in Muscat’s time, Craus’ main job was to dish out favours to Labour Party supporters through the so-called customer care office.
Summoned to appear before the Daphne Caruana Galizia public inquiry in November 2020, Craus told the board that he did not recall whether he was the one who took the picture of Theuma with Schembri at the OPM (above).
He also claimed he did not know, at the time, who Theuma was and why he was given a phantom job with the government.
Every goes for the boys, even if they are Criminals.
“Not one case of bad governance since I became prime minister” says the Bobby.
Another shameful decision by a corrupt government administration of taxpayers’ funds.
another pig at the trough – kulhadd jithanzer – kif ma tisthux tidru quddiem nies – tisirqu biss tafu u m’inthom kapaci ghal xejn hlief biex tirgbu fuq dahar il-haddiem. muvument korrott mill-a saz-z.
All crooks together. By the gods, how we REALLY need a change of government.
We really need a much bigger jail.
More of the best public administration money can buy, as I keep saying. Well, Baldrick did promise worldwide renown for Malta; and you gotta start somewhere, I suppose. Although I don’t think the sheeple thought he had the world’s biggest cesspit in mind where only money and political connections would ultimately keep you afloat.
Hello “glorious” Partit Nazjonalista – so “blessed” with lawyers.
Does anyone at Dar Centrali have the “national interest” and more appropriately in this case, “OUR TAXES” at heart?
File a Court Case challenging this irregular (at best) “contracts” and holding everyone involved liable for damages, otherwise such shameless bonanzas will continue to be dished out.
Or are you simply awaiting your turn to do likewise, albeit possibly more discretely?
That is well said indeed….
You’re almost there. Remember that your ‘employees’ are there to fleece you.
Given a phantom job as thanks for being the in between the bomb supplier , the bombers and the organizing team who wanted Daphne Caruana Galizia dead.
Craus was the other in between .whose job was procuring the job .
Now Craus is being thanked for his contribution in Daphne’s murder?
Certainly somebody close to the real murders team keeps pulling the strings , and th string puller is always a floor higher,
There we have it.
I am so, so very, very angry. May they suffer eternally in Hell.
The size of his salary plus allowances and the ‘terminal benefit’ package equivalent to a number of years remuneration is, in my opinion, a payment for keeping his mouth shut not to incriminate anyone of his corrupt masters. This is a blatant commitment for receiving future funds to be misappropriated from taxpayers’ funds.
The Government should start incorporatimg a line item in the annual budget for funds estimated for misappropriation or ransom commitments.
What government are you referring to? Because what Malta has in power, since 2013, is nothing but a Gang of crooks, criminals, assassins and ĠAĦANs.
Kulhadd jithanzer, aħdem Gaħan ! ħalli mid daqxejn ta’ paga li għandek tħallas balla taxxa ! Ħalli dawn ikunu jistaw jisirqu il miljuni !
Probably he doesn’t even know he has a phantom job with Projects Plus. These people are nothing but leeches that are only good at sucking money out of tax payers for their own enrichment.
Organizzazzjoni kriminali hekk tixtrih is-silenzju. Bi flusna.
Robber May captain a yacht but my oh my how he could scuttle a nation. Malta has become a FLOATING TITANIC flooded with corruption and FROZEN RECYCLABLE ORGANIC WASTE FORTY BAGS FULL.
If the company decides to terminate his contact for any reason( even for any reason not mentioned in this contract) should be given the salary and allowance. Allora these people in gov are said to be in dictatorship like communist countries. This is because all come to the surface that they were gerrymandering all the time in elections. That’s why the gahan people always mentioning 40k votes. WHERE ARE YOU PN IN ALL THIS. THIS is AGAINST THE LAW OF DEMOCRACY. The Lejber Party should not be governing against the will of people NOW. This all done by the corrupt ex invictus in case of anybody of the corrupt ministers go against his will. MALTA TISTRIEH META DAWN JIGU MANETJATI. This is happening all with the aid of gahan people and acolytes. Esp. Those with high degree in studies. They learnesd nothing from history just for money and favours.