Norma Saliba, the former Head of News at state broadcaster TVM, will receive a financial package of over €73,000 a year through arrangements she made with Culture Minister Owen Bonnici, The Shift can reveal.
According to her three-year contract, obtained by The Shift through a Freedom of Information request, Saliba will receive a raft of allowances to top her €42,000 basic salary.
These include a transport allowance of €4,658, a communications allowance of €1,800, an expense allowance of €8,000, a training allowance of €2,000, a project allowance of up to €6,300 and a performance bonus of up to €6,300.
The controversial appointment was arranged just weeks after Saliba was forced to resign from her PBS role.
An excerpt from Norma Saliba’s new contract obtained by The Shift.
At the same time, the Minister, who rushed to issue a legal notice to give Saliba a new generous salary following a fallout with Executive Chairman Mark Sammut, is now refusing to publish her CV, including her qualifications to run the Centre for the Maltese Language.
Saliba has been called out for having no qualifications for the job.
The Ministry did not explain why the Minister’s handpicked recruit needed such a huge expense allowance – the Centre does not employ anyone else. Neither did the Ministry explain what type of training she would receive.
The contract also specifies that Saliba, the Executive Head of the Maltese Language Centre, will still be kept on the books of PBS as Manager so that she can return to her position in case she has her contract terminated by the Council or if there is a change in Minister or administration. These ‘secondments’ from PBS are usually not permitted.
The unusual clause in Norma Saliba’s contract.
Council doesn’t walk the talk
So far, despite the fact the Council for the Maltese Language threatened legal action against Bonnici if he did not reverse Saliba’s unwelcome appointment, no court case has been filed.
A few weeks ago, the Council, meant to be responsible for Saliba’s employment, filed a judicial protest, giving Bonnici 10 days to remove Saliba and issue a proper call for the position.
Bonnici completely sidelined the Council in the appointment of Saliba and the setting up of the Centre designed to act as the executive arm of the same Council.
While Bonnici rejected claims that he ignored his legal obligation to consult the Council before the appointment of Saliba, the Council’s Chairman, Olvin Vella, was caught lying to the media about the appointment.
At first, he said he was consulted and agreed, but he later changed his tune and said he did not know anything.
However, text messages published by the Minister later revealed that Vella was told about what would happen and had found no objection.
Vella’s doublespeak caused an uproar within the Council, with members accusing him of lying and of letting himself be used by the Minister for his manoeuvres.
Vella has still not resigned.
Short term job. When this crooked government is kicked out, her “position” goes with it.
What you see is what you get?
*Ittra miftuħa lis-Sinjura Saliba.*
Illum inzertajt nista’ niktiblek f’ġieh is-sens komun u s-sewwa.
Ippermettili, għal darba, inħaddan u nħaddem l-għodda tal-Kunsill tal-Malti ħalli nipprova nipperswadik bil-kelma t-tajba. Nittama li nużaha sew bla ma nwegga’ lil ħadd.
Qed niktiblek bil-kapaċità tiegħi, iżda f’isem bosta persuni oħrajn li nafhom u li ma nafhomx, u li minħabba s-sitwazzjoni tagħhom ma jistgħux joħorġu għonqhom u jsemmgħu leħinhom. M’iniex niktiblek iżda f’isem xi entità jew istituzzjoni.
Qabelxejn nitolbok tagħraf il-bażiku. Jigifieri li minkejja li għandek l-approvazzjoni tal-gvern tal-ġurnata bil-ħatra illegali tiegħu u minkejja li għandek l-approvazzjoni tal-oppożizzjoni tal-ġurnata bis-skiet kundannabbli tagħha, iċ-Ċentru li “tmexxi” inti hu illegali minħabba bosta raġunijiet u allura l-ħatra u kull aġir tiegħek huma illegali. Inti trid taġixxi u titħallas fl-illegalità?
Bażiku wkoll li inti la għandek l-appoġġ tal-Kunsill tal-Malti li qed jhedded bi proċedimenti legali u lanqas għandek l-appoġġ ta’ lingwisti bħali li qed nhedded ukoll bi proċedimenti fil-qorti. Inti trid taħdem ma’ xi ħadd li ma jridx jaħdem miegħek?
Jien ċert li inti persuna li tħobb il-Malti u tixtieqlu l-ġid, imma ċert ukoll li m’għandekx il-kwalifiki, l-għarfien u l-esperjenza biex tmexxih… U allura, la tħobb il-Malti u tixtieqlu l-ġid, nitolbok tagħmel dak li hu mistenni minnek: tammetti li qed tokkupa kariga illegali u tikteb lill-Ministru biex twarrab. Din tiegħek ċertament tkun għażla kuraġġuża, u għalhekk jien inkun l-ewwel wieħed li nikteb fil-miftuħ biex nirrikonoxxi dan.
Il-Malti għaddej minn żminijiet diffiċli għal ħafna raġunijiet fosthom għax uliedna mhumiex ikunu esposti għall-Malti biżżejjed fl-ewwel snin, għax il-Malti nieqes mill-finanzi u r-riżorsi diġitali meħtieġa (għalkemm il-Kelmitani qed jagħmlu l-mirakli) u għax il-Malti mhuwiex imħaddem tajjeb biżżejjed fix-xandir, u allura ġenwinament nitolbok ittaffi piż ewlieni li bħalissa qed itaqqlu bħal mażżra mingħajr ħjiel ta’ soluzzjoni fil-viċin… billi turi d-diżapprovazzjoni tiegħek b’dal-mod.
Malli twarrab, tkun tista’ tissokta l-ħidma min-naħa tiegħi biex l-Avviż Illegali li jikser il-liġi prinċipali tal-Malti jkun jista’ jiġi dikjarat null u bla effett mingħajr ma jumiljak. U għal kawża bħal din inti taf li la għandi għalfejn inkun il-Kunsill u lanqas neħtieġ xi interess ġuridiku, bis-saħħa ta’ bosta ġurisprudenza Maltija.
Jien ċert li xi ħadd, il-Kunsill jew jien, se jkun qed jieħu l-passi urġenti fil-jiem li ġejjin biex jitwaqqfu l-illegalitajiet mill-aktar fis għall-ġid ta’ lsienna. U allura dan il-fatt għandu jserraħlek rasek li m’intix waħdek li tħobb il-Malti u li tixtieqlu l-ġid. Għandu jserraħlek rasek li sakemm tagħtini saħħti, żgur se jkun hemm xi ħadd li ma jħalli lill-ebda ġgant jgħaddi minn fuq il-Malti u l-awtonomija li jgawdi lsienna.
Ġenwinament inħeġġek toħroġ minn bejn din il-basla u qoxritha billi twarrab, u hekk tkun qed tingħaqad virtwalmemt miegħi biex insewwu l-ħsara li qed issir.
Letz work together 4 our Maltese.
Is-sliem,
Mark
Excellent comment but she will have no qualms working (sic) with people who don’t want her as long as the remuneration is good, she has no moral compass when it comes to the feeding from the trough and cares not a jot who knows about it and in fact probably boasts openly about it?
You have to appreciate the irony. The government’s first act in promoting Maltese was the censorship on the who, why and how the language is to be promoted.
The silence of what is left of the PN opposition, seems to be deliberate. Or it strongly indicates that Bernard Grech, his deputy (who is it?), and the General Secretary Piccinino are totally incompetent.
They’re very generous with other people’s money, aren’t they?
Fraud
Daqqa ohra l-isfel ghal PL
And now await cost cutting exercises come the budget, with cuts affecting those in society that cannot and should not be asked to bear the burden!
So don’t be surprised if no mention will be made of constant diabetic monitoring systems reaching all who need them, people will still have to beg for financial support to accompany children overseas for needed medical attention, far more than the current 50,000 people will have to resort to food kitchens……..
But at least another disgruntled person, who knows precisely where the bodies are buried, has been bought!
There it is again! The endless list of allowances, nearly another 80% of basic salary on top, and a ticket to go back to the old job. But having said that, the “training allowance” makes sense as she yet has no idea of how to do what she supposedly has to do..
Gawdi Manuel
How is it that some people who have 10,000 euros ( which are nothing much today) laced t aside for a rainy day are not entitled to certain benefits.. These large wages and benefits which are given then are shameful Are they preparing for when it rains cats and dogs for years ahead?
Dawk biss 73 k. Min jaf kemm aktar.
Minjaf kemm min dawn 73K se jmorru lura ghand min taghuhomla. Kullhadd bil-kummisjoni. Pensjoni ta l-invalidita, €5000 ghs-sensar u wara skont x’jigri ( imma din ma qalulhomx, u fottewhom wahda u tajba.