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.
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.
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.
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Short term job. When this crooked government is kicked out, her “position” goes with it.
What you see is what you get?
*Ittra miftuha lis-Sinjura Saliba.*
Illum inzertajt nista’ niktiblek f’gieh is-sens komun u s-sewwa.
Ippermettili, ghal darba, inhaddan u nhaddem l-ghodda tal-Kunsill tal-Malti halli nipprova nipperswadik bil-kelma t-tajba. Nittama li nuzaha sew bla ma nwegga’ lil hadd.
Qed niktiblek bil-kapacità tieghi, izda f’isem bosta persuni ohrajn li nafhom u li ma nafhomx, u li minhabba s-sitwazzjoni taghhom ma jistghux johorgu ghonqhom u jsemmghu lehinhom. M’iniex niktiblek izda f’isem xi entità jew istituzzjoni.
Qabelxejn nitolbok taghraf il-baziku. Jigifieri li minkejja li ghandek l-approvazzjoni tal-gvern tal-gurnata bil-hatra illegali tieghu u minkejja li ghandek l-approvazzjoni tal-oppozizzjoni tal-gurnata bis-skiet kundannabbli taghha, ic-Centru li “tmexxi” inti hu illegali minhabba bosta ragunijiet u allura l-hatra u kull agir tieghek huma illegali. Inti trid tagixxi u tithallas fl-illegalità?
Baziku wkoll li inti la ghandek l-appogg tal-Kunsill tal-Malti li qed jhedded bi procedimenti legali u lanqas ghandek l-appogg ta’ lingwisti bhali li qed nhedded ukoll bi procedimenti fil-qorti. Inti trid tahdem ma’ xi hadd li ma jridx jahdem mieghek?
Jien cert li inti persuna li thobb il-Malti u tixtieqlu l-gid, imma cert ukoll li m’ghandekx il-kwalifiki, l-gharfien u l-esperjenza biex tmexxih… U allura, la thobb il-Malti u tixtieqlu l-gid, nitolbok taghmel dak li hu mistenni minnek: tammetti li qed tokkupa kariga illegali u tikteb lill-Ministru biex twarrab. Din tieghek certament tkun ghazla kuragguza, u ghalhekk jien inkun l-ewwel wiehed li nikteb fil-miftuh biex nirrikonoxxi dan.
Il-Malti ghaddej minn zminijiet difficli ghal hafna ragunijiet fosthom ghax uliedna mhumiex ikunu esposti ghall-Malti bizzejjed fl-ewwel snin, ghax il-Malti nieqes mill-finanzi u r-rizorsi digitali mehtiega (ghalkemm il-Kelmitani qed jaghmlu l-mirakli) u ghax il-Malti mhuwiex imhaddem tajjeb bizzejjed fix-xandir, u allura genwinament nitolbok ittaffi piz ewlieni li bhalissa qed itaqqlu bhal mazzra minghajr hjiel ta’ soluzzjoni fil-vicin… billi turi d-dizapprovazzjoni tieghek b’dal-mod.
Malli twarrab, tkun tista’ tissokta l-hidma min-naha tieghi biex l-Avviz Illegali li jikser il-ligi principali tal-Malti jkun jista’ jigi dikjarat null u bla effett minghajr ma jumiljak. U ghal kawza bhal din inti taf li la ghandi ghalfejn inkun il-Kunsill u lanqas nehtieg xi interess guridiku, bis-sahha ta’ bosta gurisprudenza Maltija.
Jien cert li xi hadd, il-Kunsill jew jien, se jkun qed jiehu l-passi urgenti fil-jiem li gejjin biex jitwaqqfu l-illegalitajiet mill-aktar fis ghall-gid ta’ lsienna. U allura dan il-fatt ghandu jserrahlek rasek li m’intix wahdek li thobb il-Malti u li tixtieqlu l-gid. Ghandu jserrahlek rasek li sakemm taghtini sahhti, zgur se jkun hemm xi hadd li ma jhalli lill-ebda ggant jghaddi minn fuq il-Malti u l-awtonomija li jgawdi lsienna.
Genwinament inheggek tohrog minn bejn din il-basla u qoxritha billi twarrab, u hekk tkun qed tinghaqad virtwalmemt mieghi biex insewwu l-hsara li qed issir.
Letz work together 4 our Maltese.
Is-sliem,
Mark
They’re very generous with other people’s money, aren’t they?
Fraud
Daqqa ohra l-isfel ghal PL
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?
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..
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.
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.