‘Il-Funk’ promoted: Disgraced official lands BCA post with €60,000 package

Senior government officials are alarmed by recent events at the Building and Construction Agency (BCA), where disgraced former Lands Authority official Matthew Zammit, who was removed from his position for misconduct, has received a significant promotion, equivalent to the role he lost just a few years ago.

Better known by his nickname, il-Funk, Zammit is also the Vice President of the San Giljan Waterpolo Club, was promoted to senior manager at the BCA and given a publicly funded financial package of almost €60,000.

The promotion, initiated by CEO Roderick Bonnici in collaboration with a consultant placed at the BCA by the Justice Ministry, followed an internal call for applications. However, more experienced officers were not considered for this promotion, as Zammit’s advancement was “coming from the top.”

Since Zammit lacks any formal qualifications, the BCA’s chief executive created a new post for him, tasking him with ensuring that tower cranes on construction sites carried the requisite permits.

According to sources, the position could have been easily assigned to a junior executive rather than a senior manager.

Sources said Zammit had been insisting on getting to the same position he occupied at the Lands Authority as senior manager, and the authorities, through the Justice Ministry, accommodated him.

In 2021, Zammit, then a chief canvasser of Minister Michael Falzon (elected from the St Julian’s district), was caught red-handed meddling in tenders at the Lands Authority.

He was asked to leave his position at the Lands Authority after it was discovered by chance that Zammit had applied for and secured ground rent for public land to host a restaurant on the Senglea waterfront.

The ground rent was set at a “favourable” €20 a day for the operation of Il-Pirata restaurant, in which Zammit appeared to be a silent partner.

After a few months under the radar, which included a police probe on possible criminal charges, Zammit was never charged.

Instead, he continued to work in different government positions, including at the Institute of Tourism Studies (ITS), until he was appointed to a new position at the BCA at the end of last year.

A few months later, a new tailor-made vacancy was created and Zammit was ‘selected’ as the new senior manager – the same position he was when removed from the Lands Authority in 2021.

Zammit is always canvassing for a Labour candidate in the tenth electoral district. He is also close to a number of building contractors, particularly to a Gzira-based turnkey contractor who receives various direct orders from the Lands Authority.

His wife, Troika, used to be an assistant to Minister Miriam Dalli. She is now working at Interconnect Malta – a government agency under the remit of Minister Dalli.