Clayton Bartolo says he will not contest the next election
Former tourism minister blames future plot to smear him and his wife
Former Labour minister Clayton Bartolo has announced he will not contest the next general election, blaming a future smear campaign against him and his wife.
The ex-minister, who has served as an independent MP since resigning in disgrace in 2024, had previously said he intended to seek re-election and hinted that he would run on the Labour Party ticket.
“A few hours ago, I received credible information that during the next election campaign, whenever it happens, there will be a cowardly and disgusting attack against me, my wife and our family,” Bartolo wrote on Facebook on Sunday.
The objective of this attack, Bartolo added, was to undermine the achievements of the Labour government and to distract from its electoral proposals.
“It is for this reason that, following a discussion with my family...I came to the decision not to make myself available as a candidate in the next general election,” he said,” adding that he had conveyed this message to Prime Minister Robert Abela.
“No one can diminish the things I achieved for the country during difficult times, especially in the tourism sector. It is thanks to this hard work that we have a sector based on strong foundations,” he said.
Bartolo thanked those who had supported him throughout his political journey and stood by him during the “ordeal”.
Bartolo resigned as tourism minister in November 2024, hours before Times of Malta revealed the existence of a report by the Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit (FIAU) detailing €50,000 worth of suspicious payments his wife received from Italian cyclist Valerio Agnoli.
Investigators suspect the payments were a kickback for a Malta Tourism Authority contract given to Agnoli under Bartolo’s tenure.
Bartolo and Muscat deny wrongdoing, insisting the payments were for legitimate work she carried out for Agnoli.
In December, an asset freezing order imposed as part of the police probe was lifted against Bartolo. The freeze against Muscat remains in place pending a decision by the attorney general about whether to prosecute the couple.
In March, Times of Malta revealed how Bartolo's wife received over €120,000 in payments from Fortina, with the transactions coming under the scrutiny of a police investigation.
It was also informed that concerns have been raised within the attorney general’s office about whether sufficient evidence is in place to support a potential prosecution of the couple, as charges should only be pursued when supported by a sound evidentiary basis.