Energy Minister Miriam Dalli, who gave former disgraced MFSA CEO Joseph Cuschieri a new government job as Project Green CEO last week, has also given his daughter Katrina a €13,000 pay rise in her role as her consultant.
The Shift requested a copy of Katrina’s contract through a Freedom of Information Request. It shows that Dalli, a friend of Cuschieri, promoted his daughter two grades within the civil service just one year after she took the role, moving from grade 1 to grade 3, usually reserved for long-serving public servants.
The 24-year-old granddaughter of President George Vella was hired as a consultant by Dalli just a week after she returned from her studies abroad with no relevant work experience.
One year later and she is now on the same footing as an ambassador, the deputy police commissioner, and the secretary to the Maltese presidency.
Dalli has also designated Katrina as a director of Clearflow Plus, a government company, boosting her income further.
Miriam Dalli and Katrina Cuschieri
In an addendum to her original contract, seen by The Shift, Dalli instructed that Katrina be moved to the third grade while keeping the same responsibilities. The contract does not provide details on what exactly she should be consulting or advising on.
Besides an annual salary increase of €8,500, Katrina was also given a car allowance, equivalent to €4,659 excluding her mobile phone allowance, bringing her total package to €50,000 a year.
Before entering politics, while working at Labour TV One, Dalli was given a job by Cuschieri at Vodafone, now Epic.
Last week, Dalli appointed Cuschieri as the CEO of Project Green despite a history of scandals at the Malta Gaming Authority and Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) on his watch. He was forced to resign in 2020.
Prime Minister Robert Abela justified the appointment by saying it gave Cuschieri a second chance following his exit from the MFSA.
Edwina Licari and Joseph Cuschieri.
It had emerged that together with another close official at the MFSA, Edwina Licari, Cuschieri travelled to Las Vegas on a trip financed by Yorgen Fenech, a businessman involved in gaming and financial services and which Cuschieri and Licari were supposed to be supervising.
Fenech is currently in prison, awaiting trial for masterminding the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia.
An inquiry found Cuschieri guilty of a breach of ethics during his time at the MFSA, but this did not prevent Dalli from appointing him to another government role with a big budget.
Just a few weeks ago, Cuschieri appeared at a Dalli event to launch a chatbot project subsidised by the government to the tune of €3 million.
Former MFSA CEO Joseph Cuschieri was seen standing between Enterprise Minister Miriam Dalli and Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri at the Maltese chatbot project’s launch last month.
Both Dalli and Cuschieri refused to give details on the former MFSA boss’s role in the subsidised project, with the latter saying his involvement was private.
Disgusting… check their social media pages perhaps fees are being used to sponsor her travel to asia… modern globetrotter on the gov payroll
How generous is Miriam Dalli with public money
This Katrina lass is so so talented, Nannu George must be immensely proud of the way she has risen through the ranks at such a tender age.
Bilhaqq, din mhux partisan way of doing politics in Malta hux nann?
Jekk tixbah in-nannu ma nafx x’talent jista’ jkollha hlief terdgha minn fuq dar il-poplu.
As the saying goes:-
‘Some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them’
One should presume that the latter category do really deserve the greatness that has been thrust upon them and that in due time, they would otherwise have achieved it themselves by hard work and real merit on their part.
Is this the case in this instance?
Yet , unemployed Maltese registered with the Assisted Employment Scheme , renamed Lino Spiteri Foundation , who are fully employable in specific government departments , because of the reasons that they need assistance in their employment until they fit in. These are those persons who these days get a Learning Assistant all along their scholastic life. Yet these get a part time dishwasher job at Pakistani rates. Yet in the same position the government employs incompetents and TWC persons.
Miriam,the gift that keeps on giving (and taking)
HNIEZER MEJTIN BIL-GUH JIEKLU BISS MIN FUQ DAHAR IL-POPLU MALTI U GHAWDXI!! ISTHU JEKK TAFU KIF.
Pity Tony Zarb is no longer around cause he would have definitely come out with Issa Daqshekk!!!
Imbierek Alla, kemm huma bravi t-tfal tal-inner circle!
THE LABOUR MAFIA IN FULL SWING. I THOUGHT DALLI WAS BETTER THAN THAT. SEEMS SHE’S NO BETTER THAN THE REST. NO REGARD FOR THE TAXPAYERS MONEY!!!💯👎🤑🐀