Neville Gafà resigns from OPM person of trust role

Updated 2.50pm

Neville Gafà has tendered his resignation as a person of trust within the Office of the Prime Minister.

The notorious blogger said the resignation was effective “immediately” and was linked to an article he published earlier on Saturday on his blog and social media. The article was titled “Kids don’t need new genders. They need parents with common sense”. 

At the time of writing, the article was no longer visible on Gafà's website. 

Times of Malta is informed that Prime Minister Robert Abela asked Gafà to resign. 

“In reference to an article I published earlier this morning, I would like to offer an apology if in any way I hurt anyone's feelings,” Gafà said in a statement on social media. 

Gafà said the article was his personal view and did not reflect those of the Labour Party or government.  

It is unclear if Gafà will continue working on a volunteer basis as a customer care representative for the Labour Party.  

The resignation follows growing pressure for Gafà to resign or be kicked out of his OPM role. Sources said his latest post on Saturday sparked renewed pressure on the prime minister to take action. 

Last week, he was filmed removing flowers and candles from a temporary memorial to Daphne Caruana Galizia outside the law courts in Valletta. The government defended him, saying he was acting in his personal capacity and exercising his freedom of expression. 

And on Friday, the outgoing executive secretary of the Labour Party's women's section, Nisa Laburisti, implied that attacks by Gafà had played a part in her decision to resign.

Jennifer Tabone, whom Gafà had attacked as having a "poisonous tongue", wrote that she had been sidelined after expressing concern about "personal attacks" that were "directed at colleagues or individuals from other political backgrounds".

Who is Neville Gafà?

Gafà was one of Joseph Muscat’s advisors during his tenure as prime minister, working in “customer care”. After Muscat announced his resignation, Gafà backed Robert Abela to take over the PL leadership role.

But, soon after being given the keys to Castille, Abela removed Gafà as an OPM advisor in 2020.  

In July, Gafà returned to "customer care" work for the Labour Party after saying he was approached by the party to start meeting voters in Gozo. He soon began doing the same customer care work in the PL’s headquarters in Ħamrun.  

In August, Times of Malta reported that Gafà returned to work as a person of trust within the Office of the Prime Minister.  

Gafà was reporting to Parliamentary Secretary for Social Dialogue Andy Ellul, whose portfolio falls under Abela's direct responsibility.

A spokesperson for Ellul said Gafà was engaged in customer care matters.

In the last year or so, Gafà also started a blog. 

Despite generally supporting the PL government, he has also taken aim at government ministers, most notably Owen Bonnici and Roderick Galdes, saying the two ministers were allowing opponents of the PL within their ranks. 

In the case of Bonnici, Gafà pointed to a government contract awarded to former book council chair Mark Camilleri.

Gafà criticised Galdes for having a civil servant in the Housing Authority who is known to be a Nationalist Party supporter.  

Despite the PL morally supporting Ukraine throughout Russia’s invasion, Gafà has repeatedly expressed pro-Russian and pro-Putin views.