MTA provided free Newcastle tickets to Labour deputy leader and his political aide

The Malta Tourism Authority provided free tickets for a Newcastle United football event to Labour Party deputy leader and MEP Alex Agius Saliba and his political aide, Darren Grech, The Shift can reveal.

Agius Saliba attended the VisitMalta Weekender at Newcastle United’s St James’ Park earlier this month after receiving complimentary tickets supplied by the publicly funded tourism authority.

Grech, one of Agius Saliba’s accredited parliamentary assistants, was also present with his son. Their names were included on the MTA’s guest list, according to information verified by The Shift.

Apart from working in Agius Saliba’s political office, Grech is president of the Labour Party’s Santa Venera local committee and vice-chairman of the Newcastle United Supporters Club Malta.

The VisitMalta Weekender was a two-day pre-season football event held on 15 and 16 August and sponsored by the MTA as part of its international marketing strategy.

Newcastle United’s men’s and women’s teams played three friendly matches at St James’ Park, all branded as contests for the VisitMalta Cup.

Asked who invited him and who paid for his attendance and that of Grech and his son, Agius Saliba confirmed attending through an invitation from the supporters’ club.

“Yes, I was present for the VisitMalta Weekender in Newcastle upon invitation by the Newcastle Supporters Club Malta, who were provided with tickets by VisitMalta as the main sponsors of the event,” he said.

Agius Saliba said the invitation came from the supporters’ club’s chairman, Robert Micallef, and Grech, in his role as its vice-chairman.

“Tickets were provided directly to Newcastle Supporters Club Malta by MTA,” he said.

The deputy labour leader said Grech attended the match as vice-chairman of the Maltese supporters’ club.

The Labour deputy leader insisted no public funds were used for his travel or stay in Britain.

“All flight tickets, train tickets and accommodation were paid for by myself,” he said.

The value of the complimentary tickets is not known. It is also unclear how many were distributed by the MTA, who else benefited and what criteria the authority used to draw up its guest list.

The revelation comes amid growing international scrutiny of politicians accepting free admission to sporting and entertainment events.

The Guardian reported last week that British MPs accepted almost £400,000 in hospitality during the first seven months of this year, including tickets to football matches, concerts and other high-profile events.

Transparency International UK said that even when politicians comply with applicable rules, accepting such benefits may still be inappropriate.

The MTA has not published the cost of sponsoring the Newcastle event, the value of its complimentary-ticket allocation or a list of the politicians, officials and guests who benefited.