Michael Buhagiar, the Gozo minister’s 60-year-old chief of staff, is paid significantly less than the unqualified wife of former tourism minister Clayton Bartolo, whom Buhagiar claimed to have recruited to assist him.

According to his employment contract, acquired by The Shift through a Freedom of Information request, Buhagiar earned some €15,000 less than the contract he claimed to have awarded to Muscat.

The contract reveals that although Buhagiar claimed under oath to have assigned Muscat a financial package of €70,000, his own income was less than €56,000.

The contract stipulates that Buhagiar does not have the authority to make any recruitment decisions, let alone award anyone a job above his pay grade.

The contract shows that Buhagiar is required to perform his duties strictly under the direction of Minister Camilleri. It follows that any decision taken by Buhagiar was, in fact, the minister’s.

The Standards Commissioner report shows Buhagiar, known as it-Tewmi, took responsibility for Muscat’s recruitment in what appears to be an effort to shield his minister from allegations of misappropriating public funds and breaching ethical standards.

Buhagiar and Clint Camilleri were part of the secretariat of Minister Anton Refalo when he was Gozo minister. After a falling out with the minister, Buhagiar switched his allegiance to Camilleri.

During the investigation by the Standards Commissioner on the Amanda Muscat consultancy contract, Buhagiar maintained under oath that he, rather than his minister, decided to recruit her as a ‘person of trust’.

He admitted that he did not verify Muscat’s qualifications (which the Standards Commissioner confirmed she lacked) but still recommended a payment of €20,000 for her ‘expertise’.

All of Muscat’s contracts were signed by Permanent Secretary John Borg, who has been criticised multiple times by the National Audit Office for his unprofessionalism and “habitually infringing rules”.

Like Muscat, Buhagiar also lacks the necessary qualifications for his job.

Yet despite the scandal that saw Bartolo removed from office, Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri retains his post, and Buhagiar continues to serve as the minister’s chief of staff.