Brothers Jean (left) and Luke Dalli

Economy Minister Chris Cardona awarded direct contracts to the sons of Cabinet colleague Helena Dalli, according to notices carried in The Malta Government Gazette.

According to information published in the official publication earlier this week, Luke Dalli, 28, a lawyer and the eldest son of the Minister for Social Dialogue, Consumer Affairs and Civil Liberties was given a direct contract in July to provide services related to communications, support legal services and contribute in the areas related to intellectual property.

For the duration of the contract, a year, he will be paid €24,000.

A few months after the 2013 election, Dr Dalli was employed at the Malta Arts Council, under Culture Minister Owen Bonnici, as legal officer. Dr Dalli was given the full-time job, with an annual salary of €24,000, after a call for applications. His contract as a person of trust of Minister Cardona is over and above his full-time job at the Arts Council, which position he still occupies.

His younger brother, Jean, was awarded a direct contract by Dr Cardona to act as his ministry’s coordinator for the EU Presidency for eight months. The job carries a salary of over €2,000 a month.

The 22-year-old graduate in marketing signed his contract a month before Malta assumed the six-month rotating presidency of the European Council in January.

Attempts to contact Minister Dalli proved unsuccessful.

Asked to confirm the appointment of her two sons, a spokeswoman for Minister Cardona said: “Both positions are ones making up the private secretariat or assisting directly the private secretariat, which require not only competence in the role they occupy, but also persons of trust, reflective of the position they hold.”

Asked whether it is ethical that Minister Cardona gives jobs to a colleague’s children without issuing a call, his spokeswoman said: “As in previous administrations, ministers’ relatives are not precluded in any way from doing work for the government.”

Contacted via SMS, Dr Dalli, who also co-hosts a satirical TV programme on Labour’s TV station together with the Prime Minister’s aide and blogger Glenn Beddingfield, said he did not wish to comment on his assignment with Dr Cardona.