Luciano Busuttil gets pay rise at sports ministry despite ‘poor performance’
After his departure as CEO of the Authority for Integrity in Maltese Sport, the ex-PL MP secured a €73,000 consultancy contract
Luciano Busuttil, who left the role of CEO of the Authority for Integrity in Maltese Sport following complaints of poor performance, is now enjoying a higher pay package of €73,000 in his new job as Sports Ministry consultant.
Busuttil, a former Labour MP and a lawyer by trade, departed as AIMS CEO last autumn following a testy relationship with the board that oversaw his work, including complaints that he had performed poorly.
At AIMS, a body under the Sports Ministry’s oversight, Busuttil was on a pay packet that added up to €56,812, a Freedom of Information request has revealed. Following his departure, Busuttil was handed a “person of trust” consultancy contract in November last year.
The contract shows his salary adding up to €72,982, the highest remuneration a consultant can be paid according to the government engagement policy.
The former PL MP’s pay packet includes a €44,723 base salary (Scale 3), a €1,600 communication allowance, a €4,659 car allowance, a €2,000 expense allowance, and a €20,000 expertise allowance.
The government’s Policy on the Engagement of Persons/ Positions on a Trust Basis says that the highest remuneration a policy consultant can receive is tied to Scale 3 (€44,723) of the salary scales of the public service.
Policy consultants are also entitled to a maximum car allowance of €4,659, while “in exceptional cases, and after approval by the Prime Minister, a policy consultant can be given an Expertise Allowance whose maximum is €20,000 per annum and/or an Expense Allowance of not more than €2,000 per annum,” the government manual says.
According to his new contract, also acquired via a Freedom of Information request, Busuttil has been tasked with:
“The provision of high-level strategic advice, support and recommendation on all matters related to sports development, policy development and program implementation,” as well as “the collaboration with various stakeholders, including sports federations, educational institutions, international organizations, and community leaders, to enhance the sports landscape in the country and promote active lifestyles across demographics.”
Busuttil was appointed AIMS CEO in 2022 and left the role towards the end of last year.
Sources said that Busuttil had a difficult relationship with the board of directors at AIMS, which oversaw his work. Others said the former PL MP was a poor performer in his two years as CEO.
It is unclear whether Busuttil was dismissed or decided to resign.
As CEO, Busuttil received a base annual salary of €44,354. He was also eligible for a 15 per cent performance bonus. However, sources said the board decided not to grant the bonus last year.
Busuttil was also given a €6,000 expense allowance, a €4,658 fuel allowance, a €1,800 communications allowance, and a company car.
Busuttil’s successor, Jean Claude Micallef, also a former Labour MP, took over the role towards the end of December but resigned as CEO of the sports integrity authority just three months after he was appointed. This followed revelations he had engaged a banned footballer to work for AIMS and was being chased for money by private clients.
The CEO position at the authority is currently vacant.