Transport Minister Chris Bonett and his Parliamentary Secretary, Omar Farrugia, issued approximately 30 direct orders during the last six months of 2024, primarily to benefit friends and acquaintances with public funds.
Among the primary beneficiaries of the latest direct orders bonanza are common recipients across various government Ministries, including Malta Today’s Saviour Balzan, the Prime Minister’s photographer, Gareth Degiorgio, and the Labour Party’s graphic designers at Ikona Artworks.
The direct orders list, published in the Government Gazette, does not include tens of other direct orders issued by agencies directly controlled by Bonett, such as Transport Malta and Infrastructure Malta.
In many cases, the value of the contracts signed was kept just below the €10,000 direct order threshold, allowed by public procurement rules, to avoid issuing a competitive public tender.

RSM – the Labour Party’s audit firm for many years, was given several direct orders in connection with studies commissioned by the Ministry.
Among these is a €10,000 contract to asses the public transport concession given to a Spanish firm years ago.
The owner of Malta Today, Saviour Balzan, signed a €10,000 contract to provide the Minister with unspecified services. Balzan, who receives tens of thousands a year from state broadcaster PBS, has been on government retainers for years across various Ministries, either in his personal capacity or through his media companies. His newspapers are heavily funded through public funds.
Former Net TV executive turned Labour and is now producing programmes for One TV, Marouska Pisani Bugeja was put on a €10,000 advisory contract to Bonett’s Ministry. It isn’t known what advice she is providing. Just a few months ago, she was on the payroll of Parliamentary Secretary Rebecca Buttigieg and was one of the leading officials tasked with organising Europride, which was slammed for its mismanagement by the National Audit Office.
Owned by Aryton Bonnici, a Labour activist and campaign manager of Finance Minister Clyde Caruana, Antilia Ltd was given a €40,000 contract to provide the Minister with ‘media services’.
Additionally, Gareth Degiorgio, the PM’s photographer, who helped him in his campaign to become PL leader, got another €30,000 contract from Bonett’s Ministry to provide photographic services.
Commander Jay, a veteran DJ, was paid over €7,000 to provide logistics for a Christmas concert in Ta’ Qali.
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