Disgruntled former Minister, 69, appeased with new job at Paola Hub

Michael Farrugia, the 69-year-old former minister who was ousted from the Cabinet by Prime Minister Robert Abela in 2022, has been appointed to a new, lucrative government position as head of the newly opened mini-hospital in Paola, also known as the Paola Hub.

The Shift is informed that Prime Minister Abela personally appointed Farrugia in an apparent attempt to placate the disgruntled former minister.

Sources close to Farrugia told The Shift that, at the same time, Abela is attempting to persuade him not to contest the next general election, paving the way for a younger MP to replace him. However, Farrugia has so far resisted the Prime Minister’s pressure, although the newly created role at the Paola Hub appears to have eased tensions.

Neither Health Minister Jo Etienne Abela nor the Prime Minister has publicly announced Farrugia’s appointment as ‘medical administrator’, even though the former minister was appointed more than two months ago.

The Health Minister reportedly had no say in the decision, with sources within the ministry insisting that he was uncomfortable with the Prime Minister’s choice. Similar concerns have been raised by senior medical consultants, who had expected the new mini hospital to be led by a younger and less politically connected medical specialist. An engineer, Dominic Mintoff, who was at first put in charge of the mini-hospital, which opened after a delay of more than three years, was transferred to make way for the former Minister. The mini-hospital is still not completed.

While no official details have been released regarding Farrugia’s financial package, sources say his salary exceeds that of the Health Minister. This new income will be added to more than €42,000 that the former minister already receives annually from the state through two separate pensions, one of which is a privileged pension linked to a minister’s salary.

According to his 2023 income tax return, the 69-year-old pensioner – who remains a sitting MP – declared an income of €82,000.

Farrugia has been a member of Parliament since 1992 and served continuously in the Labour government from 2013 until Robert Abela took over as Prime Minister. He held several portfolios, including Planning, Family, Home Affairs, the Elderly, and Energy, but failed to leave any significant legacy.

Following the 2022 general election, Farrugia was relegated to the backbenches by Abela.

In 2023, he was found guilty of breaching ministerial ethics during his time as Parliamentary Secretary at the Planning Authority.

During his tenure, several multi-million-euro direct orders and tenders were issued under questionable circumstances.