Revealed: The Shift publishes Europride invoices totalling €5 million – twice the budget

A number of companies and individuals with close ties to Malta’s ruling Labour Party benefitted substantially from more than €5 million in public funds disbursed for EuroPride 2023, held in Valletta.

The event, intended to promote inclusivity, has been criticised by some as a large-scale “pinkwashing” exercise.

Following a protracted legal battle with the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), The Shift successfully obtained the full list of payments made using public funds via a Freedom of Information request.

The Shift is releasing the detailed breakdown of invoices submitted to government.

An initial analysis of the data suggests that a significant portion of the funds flowed to companies routinely involved in organising Labour Party mass events, particularly during election campaigns.

These firms often provide services to the party at minimal or no cost, and are then “reimbursed” through lucrative government contracts tied to national events such as Notte Bianca, the National Day celebrations, the Muzika Muzika song festival, and the Mediterrane Film Festival, among others.

Among the largest beneficiaries was Nexos Lighting, which received €206,000 for staging and lighting services. Istage and TEC Ltd—both owned by Labour activist Carmelo Magro—were paid €183,000 and €136,000 respectively.

Besteam Audio, known for managing sound at Labour’s public events, received €261,000.

Several Labour insiders also billed the government. Jason Busuttil, a former cameraman for Labour-owned One TV, invoiced €24,000 via his pyrotechnics firm ACT FX, established shortly after Labour came to power. Labour’s organisational secretary, William Lewis, received €12,000.

The party’s auditors, RSM, invoiced €12,000, while Labour TV presenter Joseph Chetcuti was paid €15,000 for his participation.

Not all recipients were exclusively Labour-affiliated. Greatt, an events company co-owned by former Nationalist Party officials Anton Attard and Mark Grech, was paid €142,000. Another of their ventures, Sour Punch, received €50,000.

NNG Productions was paid €90,000.

Several high-profile entertainers and media personalities, including Ira Losco, Ray Calleja, Claire Agius, Felix Busuttil, Aiden Cassar, and Glenn Vella, were also contracted for the event, receiving payments ranging from several thousand euros each.

Notably, Prime Minister Robert Abela’s personal photographer, Gareth Degiorgio, submitted at least five invoices, totalling €17,000.

An audit by the National Audit Office (NAO) has since found evidence of mismanagement, opaque payments, and potential abuse in the organisation of EuroPride 2023, overseen by Parliamentary Secretary Rebecca Buttigieg. Originally budgeted at €2.5 million, the event’s final cost doubled to €5 million.

[Click here to view the full list of EuroPride invoices]