The University Students’ Council (KSU) and the Malta Employers’ Association (MEA) have criticised a parliamentary committee's decision to admonish ministers Clint Camilleri and Clayton Bartolo over allegations of ministerial misconduct.
The Standards Committee's measures do not go far enough to address governance concerns, they said in separate statements.
The committee ruled this week that Bartolo must apologise in parliament and refund excess payments made to his wife Amanda Muscat, who was paid as a top ministry consultant while doing secretarial work.
Camilleri, who remains Gozo Minister, and Bartolo were both found guilty of abusing their power by securing false consultancy jobs for Muscat.
Bartolo has since resigned as Tourism Minister over a separate scandal, but KSU has maintained that Camilleri’s position is untenable.
“KSU maintains that Clint Camilleri’s position is also untenable and that he should shoulder political responsibility and resign,” the council said in a statement.
Last week, before Bartolo’s resignation, KSU led 16 other student organisations in calling for both ministers to step down.
The MEA also expressed dissatisfaction with the parliamentary decisions, with director general Kevin J. Borg arguing that the governance failing at the heart of the scandal "has not been fully resolved."
“We remain concerned that this scandal has negatively affected the psyche and morale of honest workers and citizens,” Borg said.
He further criticised Bartolo’s comments that “degrees and qualifications aren’t everything,” labelling them as contrary to the association’s education, training, and meritocracy principles.
Malta Chamber: We said what we had to say
Meanwhile, the Malta Chamber of Commerce, which had urged the government to act decisively, declined to comment further.
A spokesperson said, “We are not engaging anymore on this issue. We have already said what needs to be said in our press release and will not be commenting any further.”
Previously, the chamber called for Prime Minister Robert Abela to enforce stricter ethical standards for ministerial conduct, stressing the need to treat such breaches with the seriousness they deserve.
During Wednesday's parliamentary committee session, Opposition motions demanding that Camilleri resign as a minister, Bartolo be suspended as an MP for 30 days and Muscat to refund the full amount she earned as a consultant at Camilleri’s Gozo Ministry were voted down by the Speaker, who held a casting vote.
The Opposition has since said that it is dissatisfied with the sanctions adopted by the committee. Nationalist Party leader Bernard Grech has urged people to attend a demonstration planned for outside parliament next Monday - its second such event in week.