‘Entitled’ retired judge and family frustrating government officials

Senior government officials, including several Cabinet members, are expressing frustration over frequent requests by retired judge Antonio Mizzi and his family for alternative government appointments when ministers wish to replace them, according to Cabinet Office sources who spoke to The Shift.

The sources said Antonio Mizzi has made his dissatisfaction known over moves to replace him in several publicly funded roles. They described demands for alternative appointments intended to safeguard his income as ministers reorganise boards and other government bodies.

According to the sources, several ministers resent what they regard as the family’s ‘sense of entitlement’ to public positions.

However, Prime Minister Robert Abela is insisting that the Mizzis be kept as satisfied as possible, fearing retribution, particularly in cases connected with former Housing Minister Roderick Galdes.

These accounts suggest that ministers’ efforts to change appointments are being accompanied by pressure to find other positions for those displaced.

Two recent appointments provide the backdrop to these complaints.

Antonio Mizzi, in his seventies and already receiving a privileged, uncapped pension as a retired judge, was recently appointed chairperson of the Council for the Teaching Profession by Education Minister Byron Camilleri, effective from 1 October 2026 for three years. A separate notice named PL president Alex Sciberras as the new chairperson of the Embryo Protection Authority, previously chaired by Mizzi. The latter appointment was made by Health Minister Ian Borg.

The Shift has reported that the teaching council position carries an annual payment of around €20,000, although remuneration was not disclosed in the appointment notice.

The retired judge, who is close to Labour, was also appointed to chair the Commission for Appointments and Discipline within Administrative Tribunals, effective from 9 October. That appointment was announced alongside Edward Zammit Lewis’s appointment as Commissioner for Laws, succeeding Mizzi.

The family’s raft of public appointments extends beyond Antonio Mizzi.

His wife, former Labour MEP Marlene Mizzi, and their daughter Alexandra also hold several paid government positions.

Antonio Mizzi still chairs the Parole Board and the Authority for Integrity in Maltese Sport, among other bodies, and is the Labour administration’s favoured former judge to lead inquiries whenever it finds itself embroiled in scandal.

Marlene Mizzi chairs Identità and is a board member of the beleaguered KM Malta Airlines. She was also appointed non-resident Ambassador to Sweden.

Their only daughter, Alexandra, chairs the Citizenship by Merit recommendation board and is also a member of the SportMalta board, among other appointments.

A separate investigation revealed that the ministry awarded Marlene Mizzi a property lease by direct order worth €53,299.99, excluding VAT, while she chaired Identità.

The award, dated 27 May 2025, concerned premises in Valletta’s Vincenti Buildings. Its duration was not disclosed, meaning the figure cannot be treated as annual rent.

Mizzi responded by saying that the premises were not hers, despite the official direct-order announcement published in the Government Gazette naming her. She has so far refused to identify the apartment’s owner.