MTA ordered to disclose public funding for Joseph Calleja concerts

Malta’s Information and Data Protection Appeals Tribunal has ordered the government and the Malta Tourism Authority (MTA) to reveal all public funds paid since 2013 to support concerts by Maltese tenor Joseph Calleja, striking down years of resistance to making the sponsorship arrangements public.

In its ruling, tribunal chair Anna Mallia upheld an earlier decision by Information and Data Protection Commissioner Ian Deguara, who found that taxpayers are entitled to know how public money was spent on Calleja’s annual concerts in Malta. The decision follows a prolonged legal battle mounted by the MTA, with the backing of Calleja and his commercial partners.

The tribunal dismissed claims that disclosure would harm the singer’s financial interests or weaken future negotiations, branding such arguments “excuses” and underlining that transparency in the use of public funds must take precedence.

“Whoever enters into a contract with a public authority should expect that the information may be disclosed under freedom of information rules,” the tribunal said.

The case arose from a Freedom of Information request filed in July 2023 by The Shift, which sought copies of all MTA sponsorship contracts linked to Calleja’s concerts since 2013. After the MTA refused, The Shift appealed to the Information and Data Protection Commissioner, who ruled in favour of disclosure.

The MTA, urged on by Calleja and his agents, challenged that ruling, insisting publication would damage the tenor’s professional and financial interests. Calleja’s agents, NNG Promotions and Mint Media, also opposed disclosure.

During the appeal, Calleja’s agent Anton Attard,  a former PN official, told the tribunal that his companies act on the singer’s behalf and that government sponsorship covered not only Calleja’s fees but also broader production costs, including the engagement of foreign artists.

Calleja, who has staged annual concerts in Malta for years as part of his business operations, has strongly resisted revealing the scale of public funding directed to his events. While maintaining that he does not directly receive government payments, he has argued that disclosure could prejudice his commercial interests.

Former MTA chairman Gavin Gulia has previously revealed that Calleja’s concerts cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of euros each year, telling a parliamentary committee that sponsorship spending had been cut to under €500,000 annually.

Government backing for Calleja’s concerts expanded significantly after the Labour Party took office in 2013. Early increases were justified because the public could attend for free in designated standing areas. In subsequent years, those free sections were removed, forcing all attendees to buy tickets or rely on complimentary passes, often distributed by government entities.

In addition to his annual concerts, Calleja is regularly hired by government bodies for paid performances at national events, separate from his unpaid role as Malta’s cultural ambassador.

Both The Shift, through its lawyer Andrew Borg Cardona, and the Information and Data Protection Commissioner have argued throughout the proceedings that the public has a clear right to scrutinise how taxpayer funds are allocated, particularly where large sponsorships are involved.

The MTA is now expected to comply with the tribunal’s ruling and publish the contracts.

Under the law, it retains one final option to challenge the decision before the Court of Appeal.