Failing water corporation headed by minister’s chief of staff

The Water Services Corporation, currently in trouble over sewage contamination in popular bays, is being chaired by none other than Minister Byron Camilleri’s chief of staff, Joseph Vella.

It is highly irregular for chiefs of staff to hold such positions on government boards.

To make matters worse, the vice chairman at the corporation is the chief of staff of another minister. Louis Gatt is the Labour Party’s Vice President and chief of staff of Family Minister Michael Falzon.

Both officials lack expertise in water management, and the WSC has been the target of complaints, particularly this year, because it has failed to control the outflow of sewage into popular bays such as Balluta.

The two receive significant extra remuneration in addition to their already generous pay cheques related to their roles in ministers’ secretariats.

Although Vella’s chairmanship has been kept under the radar for a long time, The Shift can now reveal that Vella, also a Labour local council member in Żabbar, is getting an extra €23,000 a year on top of his €50,000 plus salary as Minister Camilleri’s right-hand man.

Until Labour was elected to power in 2013, members of ministerial secretariats were expected to dedicate their time to their office. They were excluded from holding other appointments, including on boards and government agencies.

In very few exceptions, when the expertise of some secretariat members was deemed necessary, they were not remunerated, as their participation was considered part and parcel of their original appointment.

This rule was disregarded as soon as Joseph Muscat became prime minister in 2013, with a number of officials from ministerial secretariats vying for more positions on boards, topping up their government remunerations with a board’s honorarium.

Still, The Shift is informed that Vella’s chairmanship is unprecedented, as no other chief of staff was ever also appointed chairman of a government entity.

The only other chief of staff leading a government agency was former Minister Chris Fearne’s chief canvasser, Carmen Ciantar. She was temporarily put in the position while also leading the Foundation for Medical Services. Minister Jo Etienne Abela replaced her earlier this year.

Sources close to the government told The Shift that while Vella’s double role in two supposedly very demanding jobs was inexplicable, they pointed out his close connections with disgraced former prime minister Joseph Muscat. Vella’s father was, until a few weeks ago, Michelle Muscat’s personal driver.

The Corporation’s Deputy Chair, Louis Gatt, receives €15,000 a year in addition to his salary as Minister Michael Falzon’s chief of staff.

Gatt is a long-time friend of Minister Michael Falzon, and the two were colleagues at Bank of Valletta until they resigned.  Both were given a hefty golden handshake by BOV for early retirement.

The WSC and the appointment of its board are the responsibility of embattled Minister Miriam Dalli, who is under pressure for the failure of various essential services, including energy and sewage management.