Esplora, the government’s EU-funded interactive science centre in Kalkara, has appointed singer Ivan Grech as its ‘ambassador’, according to a list of direct orders published in the Government Gazette.
Grech, from Cottonera, is being paid €10,000 a year for this undefined role. His contract was signed with Striped Sox, a small marketing company co-owned by his wife. The company has received several direct orders from various ministries and government agencies for marketing activities.
Grech’s partner is Kurt Cini, a businessman involved in a number of companies, including Steel Structures, which was awarded the overpass along the Mriehel bypass.
On the other hand, the government’s cleansing department, now led by Parliamentary Secretary Glenn Bedingfield, awarded Melvic Zammit a direct order of €10,000 for six months, calling him a “brand journalist.”
The role’s definition reflects Bedingfield’s lack of understanding of what journalism means, although that is not surprising considering his track record. There is no such thing as a “brand journalist.”
Journalists report facts, but it’s not hard to understand why Bedingfield mixes spin with journalism considering his background at ONE and the job he did at the Office of the Prime Minister for disgraced former prime minister Joseph Muscat.
Zammit’s full-time job is to manage the public relations of another government agency, Infrastructure Malta.
Zammit spent his short career in journalism at Labour’s media house Kulhadd and the GWU’s daily l-Orizzont until he joined the state broadcaster TVM soon after Labour was back in government.
It is as yet unclear whether his six-month stint as the cleansing department’s “brand journalist” was prolonged by another six-month contract.
Bedingfield has already started spending significant public funds through direct orders.
Among his first instructions was the lease of a BMW X3 Impressive, fully electric, for €84,000.
He also commissioned Gareth Degiorgio, the prime minister’s photographer, for “videography and editing services”, for €10,000.
Degiorgio is currently receiving a raft of contracts from various ministries and government agencies after acting as Robert Abela’s photographer during his 2020 campaign for the PL leadership.
Beddingfield has appointed his friend, former Principal Permanent Secretary Mario Cutajar as his adviser.
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#Silvio Scerri
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Some sipping Moet & Chandon, others spinning for the ‘ministry’ of public cleanliness.
Hallas, Gahan – u tinsiex iccapcap, jekk joghbok!
PL screwing the Maltese public in the open, by making pigs of themselves! Hopefully when change happens, all these irregularities are investigated and anyone guilty gets exactly what he or she deserves!
Jobs conjured up out of thin air. Unfortunately they are not paid out of thin air but from the public coffers, which is our money.
Kemm jinqala il MINISTRU ta l iskart u it tindif Taz zibel biex JONFOQ flus il POPLU fqir u GAHAN.
Cap cap GAHAN
MEQ MEQ
Another appointment for Mario Cutajar! B’kemm il-halq qed jiekol?!
Ma ghandux xabagha.
Pigging galore !
Doesn’t anyone or someone at the Ministry of Finance or at the People and Standards Division of the OPM check these contracts/appointments to see that there is no abuse of public funds? Or is it a free for all by ministers and parliamentary secretaries?
Taht Gvern Nazzjonalista ghamel hames snin ma jidholx ghax-xoghol u jithallas xorta wahda daqs li kieku qed jahdem. Halliel ta’ flus il-poplu u korrott mill- kbar.
Hemm paniku fil-palazzi tal-hniezer. Wara Gunju irrejalizzaw illi x-xatba bdiet niezla. Kollha jfittxu l-ahhar opportunita’ illi jdahhlu l-eluf f’bwiethom minn flus il-poplu.
You couldn’t dream this shit up.
Doesn’t look like it – and never did in recent years!
Ma tarax.U mbaghad kill sitt xhur jitfacca Clyde Caruana bil priedka tst tifel li il gvern hemm bzonn jnaqqas l ispejjes.Mandra u pajjiz taht deficit procedure ha jhallu warajom.
How shameful, now they do not even try to find an excuse.. it is plain and simple digging grubby fingers in the jam jar..so revolting
?10,000 is the capping for issuing Direct Orders. More to come.
The otherwise ‘honourable’ Clyde Caruana should be sued for failing to effectively fulfil his duties as a ‘pater familias’ at least in so far as safeguarding our financial assets (or rather liabilities, as things are going).
At best he may claim that he is limiting the haemorrhage of public funds – but judging by the harrowing results – he should resign outright.
Advisor for what?? To tell him where to clean/sweep? The whole Island is filthy!!