Veronique Dalli nabs another government job: €160 an hour consultancy at Transport Malta

Veronique Dalli, a prominent lawyer and sister of Malta’s Energy Minister Miriam Dalli, has continued to secure a string of government consultancy contracts, despite a recent rejection by a panel of EU judges for a post at the European Court.

Documents obtained under Malta’s Freedom of Information Act reveal that Dalli was awarded a legal consultancy contract with Transport Malta in 2023, valued at €160 per hour. The contract, granted via direct order without a public call or competitive process, was issued despite the availability of other candidates with more extensive legal experience.

Under the terms of the agreement, Dalli is tasked with offering legal counsel on matters assigned by the agency’s CEO, up to a financial cap of €10,000. The contract also permits her to delegate the work to a junior associate from her firm, Dalli Advocates, without any reduction in the fee.

This latest engagement adds to a growing list of publicly funded roles held by Dalli, 45, since the Labour Party took office in 2013. A former television presenter for the Labour Party’s station ONE TV, Dalli has also been retained as a consultant by Infrastructure Malta.

In a related development, a partner at Dalli Advocates, Andrew Saliba, was appointed board secretary of Enemalta, the state energy company, which falls under the remit of Dalli’s sister.

Veronique Dalli is currently serving as a representative for the Labour Party on Malta’s Electoral Commission. She has also held advisory roles at the Ministry for Justice and the National Development and Social Fund (NDSF), which administers revenues from Malta’s controversial cash-for-passports scheme.