Labour Party band coordinator earning €3,500 a month in government consultancy fees

Ray Azzopardi, a long-standing Labour Party figure and coordinator of the party’s band (banda), is receiving at least €3,500 a month in government consultancy fees in addition to his state pension, according to information released under Freedom of Information rules.

Documents obtained by The Shift show that Azzopardi, 69, has been engaged since 2022 as a foreign affairs consultant within the office of Justice Minister Jonathan Attard on an annual remuneration of €30,000.

The role, which carries a 20-hour weekly commitment, positions Azzopardi, who previously worked alongside Attard at the Labour media station ONE, as a policy adviser responsible for analysing foreign policy and providing policy input on justice matters.

According to sources, Azzopardi is seldom seen at the ministry, and the nature of his work remains unclear. His contract includes an “expertise allowance”, despite the absence of any formal academic qualifications.

In addition to the ministerial consultancy, Azzopardi also receives €14,000 a year as chair of the Botanic Garden at Argotti in Floriana.

The appointment, renewed last September by Environment Minister Miriam Dalli for a further three years, marks another post awarded by a former colleague from ONE TV.

Azzopardi retired from work in 2022 after several years as Malta’s ambassador to Belgium. His diplomatic posting, made in 2014 shortly after Labour’s return to power, coincided with a separate ambassadorial-rank appointment for his husband, Clint Azzopardi Flores, at Malta’s Permanent Representation to the EU.

A veteran party loyalist associated with the faction of disgraced former prime minister Joseph Muscat, Azzopardi has held a succession of government roles over several decades, beginning with posts at Xandir Malta in the Dom Mintoff era and later within the secretariat of the then-health minister, Vincent Moran.

His latest endeavour for Labour happened just a few weeks ago when he organised a commemorative concert by his band marking the 105^th anniversary of the Labour Party.