Ambassador nominee put on hold after revelations of damning internal report

The nomination of Roseanne Camilleri as Malta’s Ambassador to Liechtenstein has been put on hold following mounting controversy over a secret internal report that found her conduct irregular and her leadership professionally deficient, The Shift has learnt.

Diplomatic sources told The Shift that Camilleri’s appointment has effectively been frozen, despite earlier government insistence that the process would proceed. The nomination, which still requires the formal approval of the Liechtenstein authorities, known in diplomatic terms as agrément, has stalled amid growing unease both locally and abroad.

While the government of Liechtenstein has yet to issue its approval, it appears to have informally signalled reservations through diplomatic channels to Malta’s Foreign Office, particularly in light of recent revelations concerning Camilleri’s record in public office.

Although Camilleri had already secured parliamentary approval for her nomination, this does not guarantee her final appointment. Without the receiving state’s consent, the process cannot proceed.

The situation has been further complicated by a series of incidents that have raised serious concerns about her suitability for the role.

Among them, revelations that her partner, Tony Debono, sent threatening messages to PN MP Adrian Delia shortly after Camilleri faced parliamentary scrutiny over her nomination.

Speaker Anġlu Farrugia confirmed that Delia had been subjected to threats and blackmail, adding to the growing backlash against Camilleri’s proposed diplomatic posting.

The nomination has now been paused, with the final decision likely to be left to a future administration and possibly a new Foreign Minister.

At the centre of the latest controversy is a damning internal report commissioned by the Health Ministry and compiled by the Internal Audit and Investigations Department (IAID) within the Office of the Prime Minister.

The report was finalised shortly before Prime Minister Robert Abela moved forward with Camilleri’s nomination and paints a stark picture of mismanagement and administrative failure.

According to the findings, Camilleri, in her former role as CEO of Primary Health Care under Minister Chris Fearne, presided over what investigators described as “gross administrative irregularities, incompetence and misconduct” in the handling of refurbishment projects at the Birkirkara and Qormi health centres.

The report details how basic procedures were ignored from the outset. No technical drawings were prepared, no cost estimates drawn up, and no project managers or architects appointed before works began. Key government procurement bodies were also bypassed.

Investigators concluded that these failures amounted to “a collapse of good governance principles” and “a total disregard” for transparency and fairness as required by public procurement regulations.

The projects, initially estimated to cost around €300,000, ultimately ballooned to more than €1.5 million. Much of the work was reportedly awarded through direct orders to a contractor known to be a regular supplier to the Health Ministry.

Camilleri is also reported to have attempted to deflect responsibility onto subordinates, including the entity’s financial controller. However, the report firmly rejects this defence, noting that as CEO she bore ultimate responsibility for the organisation’s operations and decision-making.

Despite the severity of the findings and recommendations for disciplinary action, no steps were taken against Camilleri. Instead, she was transferred to another senior role within the public health sector before being nominated for the diplomatic post.

The decision to proceed with her nomination, despite the existence of the report, raised serious questions about standards in public appointments and political accountability and on possible external influence on Prime Minister Robert Abela by members of Camilleri’s family.

Sources have also indicated that additional documentation related to Camilleri’s conduct exists within the Office of the Prime Minister but has not been made public yet.