Minister appoints her sister’s law partner to senior role at Enemalta

Energy Minister Miriam Dalli appointed her sister’s law partner, Andrew Saliba, as board secretary of Enemalta, the national energy agency directly under her political remit.

Saliba, a young lawyer with no expertise in the sector, is a partner at Dalli Advocates, the legal firm co-managed with Veronique Dalli, the minister’s sister.

His appointment to a key role within a strategic state enterprise in the latest blatant act of political nepotism by members of the government.

So far, it is unclear how much Saliba will earn from this state-funded position, which also comes with valuable contacts in the legal and professional fields.

Saliba graduated a few years ago and is a partner at Dalli Advocates. His government top-up will boost his earnings when added to the financial compensation he earns from Veronique Dalli’s office.

The minister, Miriam Dalli, has already been outed for giving a helping hand to her sister to benefit from public funds.

This is the latest in a series of politically connected placements involving Minister Dalli’s relatives and associates.

Just months earlier, Infrastructure Malta, appointed her sister as a legal adviser on a €1,400-a-month retainer. That contract was awarded by Steve Ellul—a long-standing political ally of the minister and her former personal adviser—shortly after he was made CEO of the agency.

Despite being pressed for comment, Ellul has refused to explain why Veronique Dalli was selected for the role over other lawyers.

Minister Dalli also attempted to install Steve Ellul in her vacated European Parliament seat, a move rejected by voters.

She had earlier appointed him as the first CEO of Project Green, the government’s environmentally branded agency widely criticised for its lack of impact.

Meanwhile, her sister, a former presenter on Labour’s ONE TV during Minister Dalli’s time as Head of News, has accumulated a series of state-funded roles since Labour’s election in 2013.

While she represents Labour on the Electoral Commission, she has been given advisory positions with the Malta Gaming Authority, the cash-for-passports fund (NDSF), and the Office of Justice Minister Jonathan Attard, another ex-ONE TV colleague.

Veronique Dalli is being considered for nomination as a Judge at the European Court of Justice—a position commanding a €300,000 annual salary.