Luke Dalli gifted €102,000 a year

Luke Dalli, the son of former EU Commissioner and Labour Minister Helena Dalli, is being paid €8,500 a month as the new Executive Chairman of the Arts Council.

In addition, his contract, obtained by The Shift through a Freedom of Information request, allows the 37-year-old lawyer to continue with his private law practice – contrary to a directive issued by Prime Minister Robert Abela in 2020.

Dalli, together with others, is representing disgraced former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat in Court, where he is facing criminal charges of corruption and fraud, among others.

According to the contract awarded to Dalli by Prime Minister Robert Abela, Dalli was given a basic salary of €65,000, which is more than the salary of the Prime Minister.

On top of that, his contract is peppered with allowances, including for disturbance, performance, and a mysterious “monitoring allowance”, boosting his pay packet to a staggering €102,000 a year. Dalli was also assigned a full-time driver.

The move to appoint a former Minister’s son as head of the Arts Council forms part of a political settlement by the Prime Minister to mend his problematic relationship with the Dalli family.

For years, Abela refused to entertain Helena Dalli’s many requests, including to appoint her as President of Malta and to be given a second mandate as Malta’s EU Commissioner.

Abela stuck to his guns to keep Dalli at a distance as, according to government sources, he was never impressed with her political contribution.

Abela’s refusal to appease Helena Dalli created tension between Castille and the Dalli family, with various members, particularly the former commissioner’s husband, Patrick, badmouthing Abela in public, particularly with Labour grassroots.

Even Luke Dalli made a point of expressing his dissatisfaction with Abela by resigning from his role as a presenter on Labour TV. During a recording during a show on Labour’s One TV station, he revealed his resentment towards Abela, mistakenly believing that the studio’s microphones were turned off.

As general elections loom closer, Abela changed his tack in an effort to appease the Dallis.

Apart from appointing Luke to the post of Executive Chairman and awarding him a massive salary from state funds, Abela announced the appointment of Helena Dalli as Acting President – an insignificant role – and in breach of an undeclared bi-partisan agreement that a member of the Opposition Party should fill the post.

Sources from the Arts Council indicated that Minister Owen Bonnici opposed the appointment of Luke Dalli, as he preferred to continue collaborating with Albert Marshall. However, an undisclosed arrangement was made with Marshall to pave the way for Dalli, following orders from the Prime Minister.