Standards Commissioner issues second rebuke of prime minister over transparency

Malta’s Standards Commissioner has issued a stinging second rebuke of Prime Minister Robert Abela within a week, accusing the head of government of eroding democratic norms by refusing to publish ministerial declarations of assets — a practice upheld for over three decades.

In a report released on Tuesday, Commissioner Joseph Azzopardi rejected Abela’s claim that declarations would only be published once new legislation is enacted. Azzopardi described this justification as unacceptable, warning that halting the publication of ministers’ assets marks “a substantial step backwards in transparency”.

The findings follow a formal complaint lodged by independent politician and Momentum Chair Arnold Cassola, which cited an investigation by The Shift. That report revealed that the Prime Minister had failed to disclose ministers’ financial declarations, in defiance of both longstanding practice and international standards.

Azzopardi underscored that public scrutiny of political leaders’ assets is a cornerstone of accountable governance in any democratic society. “The scrutiny of the assets of those entrusted with the highest level of responsibility in the country, and therefore the most exposed to undue influence, is important and accepted as necessary in democratic countries,” the Commissioner wrote.

He also noted that the decision not to investigate the matter stemmed from a procedural ruling by Speaker of the House Anglu Farrugia, who supported the Prime Minister’s argument that the declarations are submitted solely for his review.

However, Azzopardi cautioned that this interpretation contravenes recommendations issued by the Council of Europe’s anti-corruption body GRECO (Group of States against Corruption), which explicitly states that asset declarations must be made available for public scrutiny.

In a separate report published days earlier, the Commissioner had already criticised Abela following a complaint by ADPD’s Carmel Cacopardo. In that case, too, Azzopardi warned that the government’s resistance to transparency signals democratic regression.

While Azzopardi acknowledged that his office was constrained from launching a formal investigation due to parliamentary rulings, he stressed the importance of aligning any future reforms with international benchmarks.

He called on the government to adopt the recommendations issued by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in October 2023, which advocate for robust transparency mechanisms and meaningful public consultation in legislative reforms.

“The government must ensure that any amendments to the current law are grounded in transparency and best practices, and that they follow open consultation with the public,” the Commissioner stated.

Critics argue that the Prime Minister’s refusal to uphold a 30-year tradition of publishing ministers’ assets undermines public trust and Malta’s international commitments to transparency and anti-corruption.

Azzopardi also referred to Freedom of Information requests filed by The Shift for the Information and Data Protection Commissioner Ian Deguara to investigate the prime minister’s failure to publish the declarations. Deguara’s investigation has not yet been concluded.