MTA shields Tenor from revealing his taxpayer-funded contracts

Through the Malta Tourism Authority (MTA), the government has filed an appeal against a decision by the Information and Data Commissioner, ordering it to publish all sponsorship contracts related to local concerts given by Maltese Tenor Joseph Calleja.

In July 2023, The Shift filed a Freedom of Information request asking the MTA for a copy of all sponsorship contracts related to Calleja’s concerts since 2013.

According to Ryan Pace, the MTA’s lawyer who also worked in Prime Minister Robert Abela’s legal office, publishing the information in these contracts would create a problem for the acclaimed Maltese tenor and prejudice future financial negotiations with other concert organisers.

The MTA insisted the information should remain confidential to protect the tenor’s financial and professional interests despite hundreds of thousands of public funds allocated for Calleja’s concerts since 2013.

The MTA objected to releasing this information and turned down the request. The Shift asked the Information and Data Protection Commissioner, Ian Deguara, to investigate. He ruled in favour of accountability and transparency and ordered the MTA to make the Calleja concert contracts available.

He said that since these contracts involved public funds, both the MTA and Calleja must expect to be scrutinised.

“The Commissioner highlights that whoever enters into a contract with a public authority should have the expectation that the information could be subject to a freedom of information request and possibly disclosed to the public,” Deguara said in a detailed ruling.

Insisting it would not publish these contracts, the MTA asked the Appeals Tribunal to cancel the Commissioner’s decision.

What’s the big deal?

According to MTA Chairman Gavin Gulia, Calleja’s concerts cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands annually. He boasted at a Parliamentary Committee hearing that he had managed to get these funds in check, reducing them to under half a million euro a year.

The government’s sponsorship agreements were significantly boosted soon after disgraced former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat took office in 2013.

Calleja himself said that while he did not earn any money directly from the government sponsorship, it was not fair that such information was revealed, as this could prejudice his future financial negotiations with other entities and organisations.

The Shift had already revealed other multi-million-euro MTA sponsorships related to local concerts, parties, and activities.

Joseph Calleja has been organising local summer concerts for years. To increase their popularity and attract a larger audience, his organisers also started involving foreign artists to boost Calleja’s concerts’ attractiveness. Government funds were also used for this purpose.

Initially, Labour increased its sponsorship for Calleja’s concerts on the premise that the non-paying public could still enjoy the performance through a ‘free’ standing area provided during the concert.

After a few years, the sponsorship continued despite  Calleja’s concert organisers removing the free area. All those wanting to attend the concert had to pay exorbitant prices or obtain a complimentary ticket, usually from the MTA or a government entity.

Both The Shift and the IDPC have filed their replies to the MTA and Calleja’s appeal, arguing that the public has a right to know how taxes are used.