Robert Abela promotes Konrad Mizzi’s fixer again

Prime Minister Robert Abela has once again promoted Ronald Mizzi, the former right-hand man of disgraced ex-minister Konrad Mizzi, who is currently facing criminal charges in connection with the Vitals/Steward hospitals scandal.

Following Labour’s victory in the latest general election, Mizzi was handed the permanent secretary role within the Ministry for Infrastructure, Planning and Employment, one of the most powerful ministries in government, overseeing agencies including the Planning Authority, Infrastructure Malta and Jobsplus under Minister Jonathan Attard.

The appointment marks the latest step in what many within the civil service describe as an extraordinary rehabilitation of a senior official who remains under criminal indictment.

Mizzi is facing charges related to alleged fraud, money laundering and misappropriation of public funds linked to the controversial hospitals concession, a deal later annulled by the courts after findings of fraud.

Yet instead of being sidelined while criminal proceedings continue, Mizzi has steadily climbed back through the ranks under Robert Abela’s administration.

Sources within the public service told The Shift that Mizzi’s latest appointment was made following direct instructions from the Prime Minister and has sparked fresh concern among senior officials over the standards being applied at the highest levels of government.

“This is no longer about presumption of innocence,” one senior civil servant said. “It is about standards, ethics and credibility. How can the administration expect discipline from public officers when a permanent secretary facing serious criminal charges continues to receive promotions?”

Originally from Żabbar, Ronald Mizzi was personally selected by Konrad Mizzi shortly after Labour came to power in 2013. At just 32 years old, he was appointed permanent secretary and quickly became one of the former minister’s most trusted officials.

During the administration of disgraced former PM Joseph Muscat, Ronald Mizzi occupied key positions across several ministries and played a central role in several major government projects, including the Vitals hospitals concession, the sale of the ITS site and the Delimara gas power station project.

His role in the hospitals concession was scrutinised extensively by the magisterial inquiry that led to criminal charges against several former ministers, senior officials and businessmen.

The inquiry described Ronald Mizzi as the official who dictated key decisions related to the concession process, including the appointment of committees and consultants involved in the project.

After being arraigned in court in 2024, Mizzi resigned from his position as permanent secretary. However, unlike many public officials facing serious allegations, he remained on the government payroll and retained his financial package while criminal proceedings continued.

In 2025, Robert Abela reinstated him as Permanent Secretary within the Office of the Prime Minister and placed him in charge of coordinating the propaganda exercise dubbed ‘Malta Vision 2050’.

He was subsequently entrusted with overseeing the controversial Valletta pavilion project, a multi-million-euro government initiative – a shady taxpayer-funded propaganda exercise.

The latest transfer to the Ministry for Infrastructure, Planning and Employment represents an even more influential posting.

The ministry controls some of the country’s most important regulatory and spending authorities, including agencies responsible for planning permits, public infrastructure projects, employment programmes and substantial procurement budgets.

Civil service sources expressed concern that the decision further weakens the administration’s ability to enforce standards and accountability across government.