The ex-prime minister has been sentenced to a five-year prison term for paying his own wife thousands of euros for a fake job. His wife was handed a three-year suspended prison sentence.
Needless to say this is not our ex-prime minister Joseph Muscat but former French prime minister François Fillon. The Parisian judge sentencing him declared that “the payment was disproportionate to the work done – Mrs Fillon was hired for a position without use”. The couple was also fined €375,000 and ordered to return €1 million to the National Assembly.
In the parallel universe of Malta, Joseph Muscat gave direct instructions for Sai Mizzi to be appointed a trade envoy with Malta Enterprise in September 2013. Not because she had outstanding qualifications, extensive experience or an impressive CV – but because she was the wife of Konrad Mizzi, the frontman for all of Muscat’s shady deals.
No call for applications was issued for the purposely-created job. This was a direct appointment on the instructions of Muscat. Economy Minister Chris Cardona, who was responsible for Malta Enterprise, had no idea how Sai Mizzi was recruited. When asked why there had been no call for applications, Cardona replied that “she is specialised”.
For months Muscat repeatedly turned down requests to publish her contract. When the pressure from within escalated, the contract was released.
Sai Mizzi, who the Office of the Prime Minister stated was a trade envoy, promoting Asian investment and Maltese exports to Asia, was treated as an ambassador. She was receiving an annual gross salary of €74,000, a representation allowance of €3,261, children’s allowance of €2,908, a settling allowance of €2,883, an education allowance of €18,000, a fully-paid residence, mobile phone costs, an official car including fuel and a driver, 90 per cent reimbursement of medical and dental costs, 50 per cent of ophthalmic care, a clothing allowance and five China-Malta flights for her and her family every year. In addition, she got a diplomatic passport. She was handed over €550,000 of taxpayers’ money.
When details of her remuneration became public, the shock even within Muscat’s own cabinet was palpable. Muscat justified her lavish conditions stating that these were the same as for former ambassadors. But Sai Mizzi was not an ambassador – there was already an ambassador to China.
That was easily sorted. Muscat decided that Sai Mizzi would no longer be a trade envoy but would take the role of consul general for Shanghai. But consul generals are employed by the Foreign Ministry, while Sai Mizzi was a Malta Enterprise employee.
Foreign Minister George Vella insisted vehemently that Sai did not fall under his ministry. So Muscat twisted Vella’s arm and within a few months Vella appointed her consul general but making it known that this was on the prime minister’s own instructions.
There were other discrepancies that remained unresolved. Ambassadors are only paid the married rate, that Sai was receiving, if accompanied by their spouse and if the spouse was unemployed.
Sai Mizzi was handed over €550,000 of taxpayers’ money- Kevin Cassar
But Konrad Mizzi was not in China and was employed. So why did Sai Mizzi still receive the married rate?
A full year after her appointment as consul general, Sai Mizzi still had no office and no contact number. Nobody in Shanghai appeared to know who she was. When criticised, her sheer brazenness was staggering: “I don’t know why they are attacking me… I have to live with it, that’s life,” she said.
As more of Konrad Mizzi’s shady dealings were exposed, the mood became even more ominous. Labour’s own grandees ripped him apart. Alfred Sant in 2016 stated that “in his own personal and political interest, as well as the interest of his family, the party, the government and the country, the honourable decision would be for him to resign as soon as possible”.
Evarist Bartolo echoed that “if Alfred Sant had given me that advice I would take it”. Leo Brincat was unequivocal: “Had I been in Mizzi’s awkward position, I would have resigned or offered to suspend myself from the parliamentary group and cabinet”. Muscat ignored them.
George Vella was left looking like a twit. In September 2016, the Foreign Ministry stated that a seasoned diplomat, Ruth Farrugia, had taken over Sai’s role as consul general.
But Sai’s name still appeared as consul general on the Chinese and Maltese government websites until February 2017.
The Foreign Affairs Ministry failed to answer questions. When Vella was asked to clarify, he asked for questions to be e-mailed. When he was told that they had been two months earlier, he rudely retorted “then we will reply when we deem fit”.
As the noose tightened, Muscat kept defending Konrad Mizzi – to the end. When Robert Abela convened Labour’s parliamentary group and executive to kick Mizzi out – Muscat stayed away, defying his own prime minister. He couldn’t risk angering Konrad Mizzi – he knew too much: Vitals, Montenegro windfarm, Electrogas, LNG terminal, offshore Malta-China investment entity involving Sai, Macbridge, Egrant, 17 Black, Hearnville, Cheng Chen.
Muscat, together with Konrad Mizzi, clearly broke the law.
‘Trading in influence’ (Article 121A of the Criminal Code) occurs when a person who has influence on the decision making of a public official exchanges that influence for undue advantage. Muscat appointed Sai to a fake job created for her and for which she was paid abusively exorbitant sums of money purely because of Mizzi’s influence on Muscat.
For those among us gullible or deluded enough to believe the Labour mantra that the institutions are working, François Fillon’s imprisonment is a clear example of what happens when institutions work. Even prime ministers pay the price for their crimes.
In Malta, however, the best we can expect is a rap on the knuckles and an expulsion from the parliamentary group – and the luxury of enjoying the proceeds of crime in serenity.
Kevin Cassar is a consultant vascular surgeon and former Nationalist Party candidate.