Delia calls on government to reconsider Camilleri ambassador appointment

PN MP Adrian Delia has called on the government to reevaluate Roseanne Camilleri’s appointment as Ambassador to Liechtenstein.

The parliamentary committee for public appointments approved Camilleri’s appointment after Delia grilled her on her governance record during her previous role as the CEO of Primary Health Care.

Delia said that after the grilling, he received a message from one of the nominees, understood to be Camilleri’s partner, Anthony DeBono, titled “Even the devil can cite scripture”, and which contained threats.

Earlier on Tuesday, Speaker Anglu Farrugia ruled that the message constituted a serious threat and broke rules concerning parliamentary privilege.

Speaking to Times of Malta after the ruling, Delia said: “The sender of the message threatened that certain individuals would be approached to speak out against me, with the aim of preventing me from contesting the upcoming general election.

"If the government believes it is acceptable for more information about the nominee to emerge while someone close to her is simultaneously threatening a Member of Parliament, then that is deeply concerning. I hope the Minister for Foreign Affairs takes a different view.”

Camilleri was suspended from her role heading Primary Health Care over alleged mismanagement of public funds.

She was approved as a non-resident ambassador despite the committee's three Nationalist Party members voting against her appointment.

Delivering his ruling Tuesday, the Speaker read out the contents of the WhatsApp message while leaving out the names of several people mentioned in it.

The sender appeared to threaten Delia with calling several people the MP had previously crossed paths with and attempting to sour their relationship. 

Finally, he said he would speak to redacted persons’ “teams to make it easier for [Delia] to have an excuse for not contesting the next election”.

Farrugia said the message clearly contained threats and found the sender guilty prima facie of breach of privilege.

“The message clearly contains serious threats in Delia’s regard and intimidation that influenced him or could have influenced him in his duties as an MP,” Farrugia ruled.

Camilleri was suspended last year from her role as CEO of the National Mental Health Services following an investigation during her tenure as primary health CEO.

During her tenure as CEO, an internal fact-finding exercise found that during refurbishment works at the Qormi and Birkirkara health centres between 2022 and 2024, costs dramatically skyrocketed due to breaches in public procurement regulations by PHC, a department within the health ministry.

She was subsequently suspended as CEO of the National Mental Health Services pending an investigation into alleged mismanagement of public funds.