Minister appoints district canvasser to deal with pardoning LESA traffic fines

John Mary Dalli, better known as Jon Jon, and the son of former Labour MP and Mintoff protégé John Dalli of Gudja, has been appointed by Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri to decide on whether traffic offence tickets issued by LESA wardens should be pardoned or not.

Dalli’s only apparent qualification for the part-time job, which pays €11,000 a year, is that he is a well-known figure in Gudja, one of the villages in the fourth district and the constituency of Minister Camilleri.

Sources close to Lesa, the local enforcement agency, have confirmed that Minister Camilleri appointed Dalli to the Board of Petitions at Lesa.

Despite being referred to as a “board,” the appointees do not work collaboratively; instead, they operate as individual members. Each week, they receive several petitions from the public, which request forgiveness for fines from LESA. They then decide whether to accept or deny each petition.

Similar appointees to Jon Jon Dalli include Silvio Scerri, the Chairman of Labour’s ONE TV and CEO of Xjenza Malta, and Nicole Buttigieg, the former Labour Party reporter who was appointed by Minister Owen Bonnici in 2018.

Until a few months ago, Dalli, 57, was managing his father’s old restaurant, known as the Hunters’ Tower, in Marsaxlokk. The restaurant has since closed because the property was sold for development. Dalli continues to be involved in property development and leasing.

The Dalli family is a staunch supporter of the Labour Party in Gudja, historically influencing many votes in their locality. His father, John, is a developer and contractor who was regarded as one of the closest Members of Parliament during Dom Mintoff’s administration. His brother, Patrick, also a developer, is married to Helena Dalli, a former Labour Minister.

Minister Camilleri’s actions are seen as an attempt to attract the remaining loyal Labour voters of Dalli to his side.

Just a few days ago, The Shift reported on the increasing competition in the fourth electoral district, indicating that one of the incumbent Ministers elected from this district may be unseated in the upcoming elections.

Former Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne has decided to run again, despite his resignation in 2024 and pending jury proceedings related to alleged fraud in connection with the hospitals scandal. This development may make it challenging for all the other Ministers, Jonathan Attard, Byron Camilleri, and Chris Bonett, to retain their seats.

According to internal Labour polls, Fearne is currently in the lead, followed by Attard and Camilleri, while Transport Minister Bonett is struggling to keep up. However, things may change.

Social Accommodation Minister Roderick Galdes will also be contesting the district. However, his primary constituency is Qormi, which is the largest locality in the sixth district.