MPs should be full-timers to limit conflicts of interest and so-called phantom jobs, ADPD is insisting.

Addressing a news conference on Saturday outside the police headquarters in Floriana, chairperson Sandra Gauci noted that no action by the police had been taken following the publication of the National Audit Office report on the fraudulent contract awarded to Rosianne Cutajar.

The damning report found no evidence that the MP did any work at all for the state-run Institute of Tourism. 

The report concluded that Cutajar’s consultancy deal was backdated by at least one month, that the ITS board was never aware of it and that Cutajar had no expertise or qualifications to do the tasks she was hired to do. The NAO probe was triggered by Carmel Cacopardo, at the time served as chairperson of ADPD.

Gauci said that it is not an MP’s job to sit on boards, to run government agencies, or to be a consultant to the government. 

“What we have today is the unacceptable spectacles of shameless appointments of parliamentarians on boards, consultancies and jobs with the government,” she said. 

“This is a failed nepotism system, it’s bad governance and opens the door to abuse of power and conflicts of interest. The case of fraud at ITS is symptomatic of a system which enables abuse of power.”

She said the Green Party will continue to insist that Police Commissioner Angelo Gafà  gets his act together and takes action against the criminals involved in Cutajar’s ITS deal. 

"More than enough time has passed," she noted.

“How long will the Commissioner take to take action against Pierre Fenech, Rosianne Cutjar and Konrad Mizzi? So far nothing has happened, with the government doing its utmost to divert attention from this case hoping it will be forgotten.”

She noted that the Police Commissioner also took a long time to take action against the confessed murder middleman Melvin Theuma. 

“They are trying to normalise criminal behaviour because as long as that behaviour favours their insiders, it doesn’t matter,” she said. 

The Green Party once again called for ITS CEO Pierre Fenech to resign and be immediately investigated for fraud. 

"We want criminal action against all those involved in this clear case of fraud. We cannot allow this case of squandering public money to be forgotten because of the procrastination of a Police Commissioner," she said.

"It is simply unbelievable that even with a detailed public report by the Auditor General, the Police Commissioner still refuses to take action. Does he expect us to do the job that he has the power to do?"

On his end, ADPD Secretary General Ralph Cassar said that MPs, ministers and the Prime Minister are putting up a "weak and pathetic" defence to those involved in the fraudulent case. 

He mentioned how Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo defended ITS CEO Pierre Fenech and Cutajar, and how Prime Minister Robert Abela pinned Cutajar’s consultancy contract scandal on former Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi. 

He noted that also Government Whip Andy Ellul defended Cutajar, and said how "empty vessels" like Ellul make sound to divert attention from serious cases of fraud, bad governance and corruption. 

"The fact remains that Pierre Fenech has no idea what good governance looks like. Those who are unable to refuse illegitimate "orders by their superiors" to commit fraud should be kicked out of their leadership roles both at ITS and MCC."

The Green Party also launched a petition for the Police Commissioner to take action against those involved in Cutajar's ITS deal.