Minister’s nephew, his private secretary’s son, put on government payroll through contractor

Fresh questions have emerged over potential nepotism within the Health Ministry after it was revealed that the nephew of Gozo’s Health Minister, Jo Etienne Abela, secured a position at the Gozo General Hospital through a private contractor funded by government resources.

George Abela, the son of Mariella Abela—Minister Abela’s private secretary and sister-in-law—was employed as a clerk at the island’s main hospital via a contract awarded to security firm Signal 8. The arrangement has triggered consternation among Gozitan public sector employees and prompted renewed scrutiny over ministerial recruitment practices.

While distancing himself from his nephew’s appointment, Minister Abela denied any wrongdoing, describing allegations of nepotism as part of a “coordinated campaign” targeting his family.

“The Ministry for Health and Active Ageing does not select or assign agency employees,” the Minister said in response to The Shift’s questions. “Such staffing is carried out by the contractor, in accordance with standard procedures and based on qualifications and technical requirements. This is not nepotism.”

Despite repeated requests, the Minister declined to confirm whether he was aware of any intervention by his private secretary in her son’s recruitment.

“Any other statement, no doubt relayed to your good self by third parties, is untrue. But it is in keeping with the current trend of character assassination, through indiscriminate attacks on members of my family,” the Minister said.

According to sources close to the matter, Mariella Abela, a Labour councillor on the Victoria Local Council and a prospective general elections candidate, is understood to have recommended her son for the post.

She remains a highly influential figure within the Ministry and was among the first appointments made to Minister Abela’s secretariat following his elevation to Parliamentary Secretary for Active Ageing in 2022.

The revelations on Abela are the latest in a string of reported appointments involving members of his family.

In May this year, Ino Abela, the Minister’s brother and a haulage operator by trade, received a €42,000 direct order from the Malta Food Agency for the transportation of agricultural produce. No public explanation was offered as to why he was selected for the contract.

Meanwhile, another brother, Christian Abela—Mariella’s husband—worked for the Gozo Channel but was seconded to the Gozo Ministry recently. He is known to have served as a canvasser for Minister Anton Refalo.

The Minister’s father, the owner of a restaurant in Victoria’s St George’s Square, also attracted headlines recently following a dispute involving festa decorations placed near a short-let property he manages.

Minister Abela defended his father, characterising the criticism as part of an “indiscriminate attack” on his family.

The latest controversy echoes a similar case exposed last year by The Shift involving Minister Miriam Dalli, who faced criticism after it emerged that a close associate, Pearl Agius—a former One TV reporter—was employed at Wasteserv as a lawyer via the same private staffing mechanisms.

Critics have increasingly pointed to the use of private contractors as a means to circumvent public service protocols, raising concerns about transparency, meritocracy, and political patronage within ministerial appointments.