Finance Minister Clyde Caruana has come forward with a new excuse to resist calls by The Shift to reveal the financial package given to failed Air Malta CEO David Curmi at KM Malta Airlines.
According to the minister, who handpicked the 65-year-old Executive Chairman despite his dismal results at Air Malta, which led to its closure, Curmi’s financial package should not be revealed to ‘avoid his poaching by other rival airlines’.
In a bizarre reply to the Information Commissioner following a Freedom of Information request by The Shift, Caruana’s ministry argued that publishing Curmi’s financial package was commercially sensitive and could hurt the interests of the new national airline.
Citing a decision taken years ago, in which the Information Commissioner had decided not to disclose the financial package of former Air Malta CEO Clifford Chetcuti, the finance ministry argued that the same should apply to Curmi.
Yet there is a marked difference. Chetcuti, an experienced pilot with an international airline, joined Air Malta after occupying several senior management positions with airline giants such as Qatar Airways. In his case, the commissioner had argued that his experience could lead to potential poaching.
In contrast, Curmi never worked in aviation before being chosen by the finance minister.
Former Air Malta boss Clifford Chetcuti – an experienced airline manager
Senior KM Malta officials said the finance ministry’s reasoning in Curmi’s case was “ridiculous”.
They insisted that Curmi did not even have any qualifications to potentially work in any aviation sector, let alone be poached by another airline.
Curmi was installed as executive chairman of KM Malta Airlines earlier this year after occupying the same role at Air Malta and steering it to a crash landing.
Air Malta posted tens of millions in losses, while the government set up a new airline identical to Air Malta, pumping hundreds of millions of euro from state coffers into it.
Instead of starting afresh, the finance minister put Curmi in charge of KM Malta Airlines.
When at Air Malta, Minister Caruana had also tried to keep Curmi’s lucrative contract under wraps, resisting FOI requests and turning down parliamentary questions.
After a long legal battle, The Shift finally won the case, revealing that Curmi was receiving a staggering €21,500 a month while Air Malta was in serious trouble.
It was also revealed that Curmi was being paid extra for his role as chairman, contrary to Minister Caruana’s declarations to parliament. The latter had to issue an apology for misleading MPs.
The Shift is also informed that the new company’s financial performance during its first months has not been positive, with estimates pointing towards a similar fate for the new airline as Air Malta.
Only in Malta!!
Anyone foolish enough to poach Curmi deserves what’s coming to them. Clyde, meanwhile, deserves to get his bs called. No better than the hapless narcissist before him. May they both get their just desserts while still alive.
Cosa Nostra ( Taghna Lkoll)
Should any other airline covet the current KM’s chairman, then it will mean that it has a poor idea indeed of what a real airline-experienced chairman should look like!
Very well said.
Not even fraudster Trump would dream of envying Clyde And Curmi.
As if someone whose CV includes the driving of a state-funded airline into the ground is going to be a likely candidate to be poached by competitors.
Imagine the vacancy advert: “CEO to bankrupt airline required.” Fasten your seatbelts. The sickness bag is in the pocket in front of you.
The advert will run “Vacancy for a CEO with hands-on experience in bankrupting airlines”
Maybe he be poached by another trough?
I spilled my coffee laughing again, I have difficulty in imagining ANY firm or company wanting this excuse for a CEO, I mean……
Do you really think there are any airlines stupid enough to pay him 21k per month? Remember he’s doing whatever Knighthood Capital tell him….
Another disaster in the offing!
I don’t think there are people stupid enough to try and poach David Curmi
Hey Hon. Caruana, who’s going to poach an incompetent who brought Air Malta to it’s knees and eventual closure?
I used to think clyde was one of the few decent ministers but clearly he is as bad as the rest
The more you fail the more taxpayers money is given away. Ask the minister of clowns who would poach this failure
Handsomely rewarding failure; repeatedly.
They used to tell me “never change a winning horse”. So it goes without saying, always change a losing horse. But this seems to be a different logic when it comes to friends of friends!!
He ran the old Air Malta to the ground, and was rewarded by being given headship of the new airline. My opinion is, if some other airline poaches him, they would be doing the country a huge favour.
“Curmi’s only credentials in the aviation industry is steering Air Malta to a crash landing”
ABSOLUTELY SPOT ON!
All he is, is an entitled prick!
So who the F ..k would want to employ him!