Updated November 9, 6.30am

Employers and business lobbyists have both expressed alarm at Robert Abela’s willingness to allow two of his ministers to get away with having abused their power.

In separate statements, the Malta Employment Association and Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry both said they were deeply concerned about the way Abela’s government was handling a scandal involving ministers Clayton Bartolo and Clint Camilleri.

The MEA said the affair was a "true slap in the face to governance and accountability" while the Malta Chamber flagged what it saw as a “disturbing trend of leniency and disregard for standards”.

Bartolo and Camilleri arranged for Bartolo’s secretary and then-girlfriend Amanda Muscat, who he has since married, to be employed as a policy consultant at Camilleri’s Gozo Ministry.

According to a standards commissioner's report published on Thursday, both ministers abused their power and breached ministerial ethics by doing so.

The investigation by retired chief justice Joseph Azzopardi, triggered by Arnold Cassola, detailed how Amanda Muscat was first promoted from Bartolo’s personal assistant to his consultant with a generously beefed-up salary of almost €62,000 in 2020 and again, with an even higher salary of €68,000, with Camilleri in 2021.

Azzopardi, who investigated the matter in his role as parliament’s commissioner for standards in public life, concluded that Muscat was not qualified to be hired as a consultant, that there was no evidence that she did any work as one, and that all those involved had not been entirely factual when he sought answers from them. 

Bartolo has since made a conditional apology, while a defiant Camilleri insisted he did nothing wrong.

MEA: Sending the wrong message

In a statement on Friday, the MEA said that the phantom job given to Bartolo’s wife was not the first of its kind and the prime minister's reaction sent a clear message that "certain people in high places can break regulations without any consequence for their actions".

"These and many other non-productive jobs given in the public sector are one reason why there is a shortage of employees in the private sector that is being addressed through the employment of foreign workers.

"Ministers and civil servants are there to serve the people, not to take advantage of their positions to dispense lucrative government jobs at will."

The MEA reiterated it had long called for control and accountability for the engagement of persons of trust, by ensuring that they are limited in number and given to people who can justify what they earn through their expertise and output.

Unfortunately, there were too many examples of such jobs being awarded to those who sought political favouritism, the association said.

"Many employees see the injustice of having to give an honest day’s work to earn their salary, while a selected few are handed exorbitant packages and contracts for doing nothing or almost nothing.

"This is affecting the national work ethic and the motivation of the honest worker and entrepreneur. It can no longer be allowed to persist. If the prime minister truly believes in good governance and aspires towards upholding the country’s reputation, then he should act consistently and do the right thing to send a clear message that such abuses in a serious country like Malta are not tolerated."

Malta Chamber: Take immediate action

The Malta Chamber noted that a similar scandal in late 2021 involving then-minister Justyne Caruana had led to her being forced to resign. It said Abela’s decision to accept an apology as punishment enough deepened their concerns about ethical standards in government and weakened public trust in institutions.

“In the private sector, high ranking officers in serious companies are held to high standards of accountability—an apology alone is not sufficient in cases of ethical misconduct. The same, if not higher, standards should apply to those entrusted with public office,” it said.

It called on the government to take “immediate, meaningful action” to reinforce ethical standards governing ministerial conduct, saying Abela had to treat such breaches with the seriousness they deserve.

The Malta Chamber has long spoken about the importance of upholding ethical standards. A document it issued in 2022 titled, "A Strong Transparency, Accountability and Ethical Governance Framework for Members of Parliament" highlighted concerns of nepotism, favouritism, and abuse of power in government appointments and made proposals for addressing them.

“In every Ministry and public entity, it is crucial to ensure that appointments and public contracts are awarded based on merit, qualifications, and a genuine commitment to public service, not personal connections. This approach preserves the credibility and integrity of public institutions and ensures diligent use of taxpayer funds,” it said.