Ċittadella wedding held just a day after legal notice authorising such events
Standards Commissioner asked to investigate alleged abuse of power, conflict of interest
The Standards Commissioner has been asked to investigate a suspected breach of ethics and abuse of power by Culture Minister Owen Bonnici over the publication of a legal notice allowing weddings in the garden of the Ċittadella ditch - just a day before the daughter of his former permanent secretary held her wedding reception there.
The case was revealed by The Shift which said it involved the wedding of permanent secretary Joyce Dimech's daughter.
The request for investigation was made by election candidate Arnold Cassola who said this appeared to be a case of abuse of power and conflict of interest.
He noted that the legal notice was issued just a day before the wedding was held, even though the reception would have required months of preparation.
Furthermore, according to The Shift, were the new rules to be strictly applied, a request to use the ditch for such an event needed to have been submitted four weeks previously.
He noted that such events had been previously banned to ensure the preservation of the site and public access. The legal notice therefore indicated inappropriate use of legislative power for private or personal interests.
Cassola said the impact of the change of rules on the site needed to be evaluated. And why were the rules changed only for weddings?
He said the manner how the legal notice was issued, just a day before the wedding took place, could undermine public confidence in good governance and raise questions on abuse of power.