Parliamentary secretary recruits Keith Schembri’s ‘fixer’, ex-hunter MP as consultants

Fisheries and Animal Welfare Parliamentary Secretary Alicia Bugeja Said has chosen as two of her consultants the deputy of disgraced former chief of staff Keith Schembri (currently facing criminal charges) as well as a former Labour MP convicted of breaching hunting and trapping laws.

The young Parliamentary Secretary from Mġarr, elected to parliament for the first time through the female parliamentary quota in 2022, has given Phelim Cavlan a €26,000 contract to give her advice on political strategy and animal welfare reform.

He is expected to work just 15 hours a week for a yearly income of over €26,000.

Cavlan spent years shadowing Adrian Hillman, the former managing director of Allied Newspapers, in the run-up to Labour’s ascent to power in 2013. He occupied the post of Business Development Manager.

One of his main tasks was coordinating the €30 million investment in ‘a state-of-the-art printing facility’ in Mrieħel. The facility has already closed, posting millions in losses.

Keith Schembri, Adrian Hillman, and Progress Press are now facing criminal charges of fraud and money laundering.  Both Schembri and Hillman are pleading not guilty to the criminal charges filed against them.

Bertu Pace returns

The Parliamentary Secretary for Animal Welfare has also put on her payroll a staunch hunter and trapper who acted as the Labour Party’s consults on the controversial issue, as Malta faced several infringement proceedings on the breach of the EU Birds Directive.

Bertu Pace, in his 70s, a former Labour MP from Siġġiewi, is being paid almost €10,000 a year for giving his advice on “general agriculture policies” according to his contract obtained through a Freedom of Information request.

Pace used to work at a bank during his working life and holds no qualifications in either agriculture or fisheries.

In 2016, Pace was suspended from his role as consultant to the Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture, Roderick Galdes, after the police investigated him over a development permit granted to build a villa on agricultural land.

In November 2019, he was also convicted of the illegal use of bird callers.

In 2021, a decision to award Pace an honorary prize—Ġieħ is-Siġgiewi—was revoked because it was given to him without the council’s authorisation.

While a Fisheries Ministry consultant, Pace regularly posts divisive messages on his social media, targeting the Opposition. He is also known for his vulgar posts, regularly demeaning women.

The Shift is informed that top civil service officials have warned Pace several times to refrain from posting political and vulgar content on his social media. Yet the parliamentary secretary has not taken action against him.