Acclaimed Maltese tenor Joseph Calleja wants to prevent the Malta Tourism Authority (MTA) from revealing his lucrative annual sponsorships because he claims it could harm his reputation and private business interests.
In a letter to the Data Protection Commissioner over a request filed by The Shift for an investigation into the MTA’s refusal to publish Calleja’s contracts, his management, team headed by former PN media boss and event organiser Anton Attard, insisted that payments for his annual Malta concert should remain unpublished.
The Freedom of Information request filed for Calleja’s contracts some two years ago is part of an ongoing effort to address the MTA’s lack of transparency regarding taxpayer funds it is dishing out on events to a circle of people.
Calleja’s local management told the Commissioner: “As a renowned artist, Calleja’s professional engagements and associated financial arrangements are integral to his personal and professional reputation… Public access to this sensitive information could lead to misinterpretations and potentially harm his reputation, which has been built over decades of dedication to the arts.”
They insisted that funds given to the singer are “intrinsically confidential”. They claimed that revealing his “payment structures and amounts could skew the market perception of Calleja’s worth and potentially devalue his market stance in future negotiations with other concert organisers and sponsors.”
The local management team, which benefits financially from the arrangement through concerts organised in Malta, said these state funds are also used to bring other international artists to Malta to boost the tenor’s concert appeal.
The Maltese Tenor invited to Castille a few days after Labour took office in 2013.
Joseph Calleja has been organising annual concerts in Malta for over 25 years.
The MTA began sponsoring the events to the tune of hundreds of thousands of euro per year in 2013 when disgraced former prime minister Joseph Muscat took power on the premise that those who couldn’t afford Calleja’s concert tickets or who were unable to obtain a complimentary ticket could still enjoy the music in a dedicated free standing area.
The free area was eventually abolished, but the MTA’s funds kept flowing in. Due to dwindling paying audiences, the concerts were also moved from Floriana to a smaller venue.
The MTA has consistently refused to publish how much money it spends on Calleja, but Chairman Gavin Gulia let slip during a meeting of a parliamentary committee that, at one time, this sponsorship reached half a million euro a year.
Calleja is also paid separately for the many other appearances he makes at government-sponsored events, the most recent being the controversial Mediterrane Film Festival on which Film Commissioner Johann Grech spent a reported €4 million.
Joseph Calleja with Film Commissioner Johann Grech.
The Shift is insisting on the need for full transparency and accountability regarding how public funds are being spent by the tourism ministry and the MTA, not only in the case of the Maltese tenor but also on other concerts and events following several scandals on exorbitant fees being paid to a select group of event organisers.
Questions on the same subject were repeatedly turned down in parliament.
Dear famous Maltese tenor Joseph Calleja,
Every musician should be paid according to their performance.
In your case, you are certainly entitled to a bigger slice of the pie. And that is the right thing to do.
I gather from your statement that you yourself are of the opinion that you have shoved too much into your mouth and are ashamed of this behavior.
If you have done so much good with the money for the musical scene for Malta, then please explain this, it would only enhance your reputation.
But as it is, it is just a hollow laugh at the stupid Maltese people who seem to have exploited and used them.
Best,
KLAUS
Maybe he is just as corrupt as the other Joseph?
Just boycott his now boring concerts.
Or maybe his fees are low and he doesn’t want to show because other organisers may devaluate him, paying less. We don’t know what we don’t know. Having said that I think that as taxpayers we should know.
It is your professional interests supported by the Malta tax payer that we need to know about, which I am sure has nothing to do with your artistic reputation.
This man is becoming more entitled than ever as time goes on. He thinks he can swallow up public money without giving an account to the public. That’s not how things work Joseph; both of you.
If anything is paid by the Maltese taxpayer, no matter how ‘intrinsicly’ – or any other word- private it may be, the Maltese taxpayer has every overriding right to know how much money from their hard-earned salary was spent to the last cent on whatever it is by whomsoever. Though it be just my opinion and not necessarily a fact, I find any secretive payment made from our tax coffers without clear trace and record made available to the taxpayer, unlawful and criminal. Taking money from someone without their knowledge or consent is the basis of theft, no?
Stealing from a group, or population, is generally regarded as theft.
However, when one’s morals have been thoroughly squashed by George Orwell’s boot it’s time for you (singer) to exit.
Probably stage left.
If you don’t want the sums to be revealed, then don’t do deals with public entities
I should presume there is nothing shady in Joseph Calleja’s deals as regards his sponsored performances in Malta.
One is not enquiring about his income from other sources for performances overseas – given that they are not funded by Malta’s taxpayers as are the local ones. That should not be a matter for the Maltese public’s interest – but only for the Malta taxman’s!!
So I have no right to know what they do with my money?
This is THE open door for corruption which – I assume – every Government wish to have.
You are so wrong. Think twice.
Ghidilna kemm qed tiswa u thallinhiex insafru L’aida!
Calleja is well known to be labour leaning – his contract is in the public interest, because his fees are paid from the public coffers.
What is paid by the tax payer should be transparent and open for all. Why should Joseph not reveal what was given. I on the other hand feel that if Joseph wants things not to go out in the open he might be saying that he feels he has been over paid .Though he can always offer a part of the payment to cover wages for those workers who the gov has not paid yet for work done three years ago, as so I heard. This would be a much appreciated well deserved gesture , then hiding the payment received . So go for it Joseph .and show them that after all you are not another grabber in JM’s group.
Joseph Calleja: so you want my taxes to become rich, but you are saying that telling me how much I pay you will damage your reputation. You want the cake and you want to eat it at the same time. Decide. You either tell me how much you’re costing me or else throw away the cake and we’ll give it to someone else who hasn’t been corrupted from day one that disgraced Joseph Muscat entered Castille. Shame on you and your team.
In Malta one tenor for the price of the three tenors
I loled
Or maybe four tenors to the tune of my forsaken country
Another pig at the trough,, no two ways about it!
Joseph: you owe Malta something but in return you take away something. You, too, gave us something (Foundation) but, pls, be a good boy and honour your motherland and its taxpayers.
If Joseph Calleja is being paid any amount from taxes, then he has no right to keep this data from the public. As to ‘intrinsically confidential’ reasons, the tenor’s private business and commercial concerns are his own, so his rebuttal is without merit under the FOIA. If the Shift News appeals to the IDPC, their request will surely be unheld.
Ghalhekk sar miljunarju dal bniedem! Lanqas jisthu!
I would be more keen to question why VCA (or who in vca) decided to spend close to a quarter of a million to bring a retired Artist Jose Cura with no current acclaim to create an Opera at the Manoel theatre (and pay him a ludicrous amount of the tax payers money) to produce something of an utterly disgraceful level. At least Mr. Calleja brings along some current and truly great International stars along which very few around the world can do. We comment that the Arts sector isn’t great in Malta but it’s clear that there aren’t the right people in the positions of decision making. Investigations should be called everywhere. The people can feel that their money isn’t being spent wisely. We need a reform in the Cultural sector. I voiced this myself last year and as a result I got axed out!
Another MLP acolyte with his snout entrenched in the tax payer funded trough.