Minister’s daughter appointed to board of state-owned airline

Simona Refalo, a 21-year-old university law student, has been appointed by Finance Minister Clyde Caruana as a member of the board of directors of Malta Med Air – a fully government-owned airline conducting charter flights using leased aircraft, mostly from KM Malta Airlines, the former Air Malta.

Refalo, who has no experience in running a business, let alone a commercial airline, is the daughter of Agriculture Minister Anton Refalo. She also currently serves as Labour’s mayor of Xewkija, in Gozo.

Sources at the company told The Shift that Refalo was inserted into the company’s board just a few months ago on the direct recommendation of the Finance Ministry. She did not replace any departing member of the board but was added to the airline’s decision-making body, increasing the costs of honoraria paid to board members.

It is not yet known why Minister Caruana chose his colleague’s young daughter to sit on the airline’s board, or whether this appointment was some form of favour to his colleague, the most veteran member of Robert Abela’s government.

Despite her young age, the minister’s daughter already has a colourful and controversial past.

In 2022, images shared on social media from Refalo’s 18th birthday celebration at her father’s residence revealed the presence of a stolen Victorian-era road marker, a protected national heritage item.

Following revelations by The Shift, the artefact was confiscated by the authorities.

Calls were made at the time for Anton Refalo to resign from the cabinet. He declined to do so, despite reported pressure from Prime Minister Robert Abela. No criminal charges were brought, and police commissioner Angelo Gafà took no further action. The minister said only that the artefact had been returned, without explaining how it had come into his possession.

Simona Refalo is reportedly being pushed by her father to take his place in Parliament once he decides to retire. She contested the last local elections in Xewkija and registered her address at the residence of one of her father’s canvassers, despite actually living with her family in Qala.

No action was taken against her for making a false declaration, while her father’s ministry, including most of his canvassers, focused on securing her election to the town’s mayorship. She was successfully voted the most popular candidate on the Labour ticket in Xewkija, becoming the youngest mayor elected by Labour in the 2024 local council elections.

As a director of Malta Med Air, Refalo joins Stephen Xuereb, chief executive of Valletta Cruise Port; Josef Vella, secretary-general of the Union Ħaddiema Magħqudin; Margaret Camilleri, a long-time Labour Party fundraiser; and Camron Farrugia.

The airline is run by Paul Bugeja, a former chief executive of the Malta Tourism Authority, who was appointed during the tenure of disgraced former Minister Konrad Mizzi.