Updated with reaction by Qala mayor below - The mayor of Qala has defended giving his family nearly €4,000 in public funds in recent years, saying he was being smeared for speaking out against over-development on Gozo.

According to accounts published by the Gozitan local council, mayor Paul Buttigieg has overseen the disbursement of €3,951 in direct orders to his own daughter and sister since 2017.

The bulk of the direct orders went to Qala-based printing press A&M Printing, owned by his sister.

According to the council’s accounts, the firm has taken regular contracts to print leaflets and banners for council-sponsored events.

The council has also green-lit direct orders to the mayor’s own daughter Patricia Buttigieg – a soprano – for singing at council-organised events.

Council sources said Buttigieg had even benefitted directly after his woodwork studio was contracted as part of an upgrade to the council’s premises.

When contacted, the Labour Party mayor defended the spend, saying it had only been flagged to the media as part of a coordinated smear campaign against him.

“This is just more of what I have become used to – more spin targeting me because I will not allow developers to destroy what little is left of the countryside in Qala. I have spoken up and said ‘no’ to big developers and this is what I get in return,” he said.

Buttigieg said the council had used the services of A&M Printing long before his time in the council, questioning whether the 2017 direct orders had even been signed off by himself.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if the payments are for services done before I was even mayor,” he said, adding he would need to review the accounts to be certain.

As for the contracts given to his own daughter, Buttigieg said these were minute sums given to a soprano who had performed overseas for a number of years and who also happened to be his own daughter. Direct orders given to her also include graphic design work on flyers and other council activities.

Buttigieg has recently been at loggerheads with the Qala council, reporting one member to a disciplinary hearing.

The Qala council’s long-standing secretary, Marcia Borg, had stormed out of a council meeting following a disagreement with Buttigieg over administrative issues.

Buttigieg has been in the headlines in the past for speaking out against deve-lopment in the Gozitan countryside and spearheaded the movement which thwarted plans for a hotel and marina in the idyllic Ħondoq bay.

Buttigieg said this and other campaigns had made him “few friends and a number of enemies in high places”.

“I will not be silenced by anyone,” he added.

Buttigieg reacts further

In a further reaction on Monday, Buttigieg said he was reiterating his stance that this was an attempt to tarnish his reputation and in some manner discourage him in his endeavours to protect Qala and the environment in general. 

Mr Buttigieg wrote:

"With regards to the allegations about my sister:

A&M Printing is my sister and her family’s business. I have no connection or shareholding in it. This is the only printing press in Qala and the Qala Local Council, together with all village entities has been giving printing jobs to this company over the last years. To be specific, for the past twenty five years printing jobs were given to A&M Printing under all of the past serving Mayors of the Qala Local Council (Vince Buttigieg, Paul Buttigieg and Clint Camilleri).

The service given during my tenure as Mayor were therefore a continuity of what used to be done by my predecessors with prices being the same for years and which were duly approved by the Council Executive Secretary.

"With regards to the allegations about my daughter Patricia Buttigieg.

My daughter’s involvement in the local council work is also a continuation of what happened prior to my taking the office as Mayor. In fact, her collaboration with the Council commenced way back in 2012. Most of the work she carried out over the years was on a voluntary basis which was free of charge  and in most instances merely to cover costs related to material and equipment involved.

"The total amount paid is to the amount of €938.86 of which €218.86 were reimbursements for materials she bought on behalf of the Qala Local Council while the remaining €720 were of services consisting of artworks and 6 performances she did between 2017 and 2019 for the council. This was duly endorsed and ratified by the Executive Secretary

"With regards to the allegations about my woodworks

These works were carried out in 2009 and I was requested to do so by the local council. The job amounted to LM430 and I duly informed the council that I would accept on condition that I am not involved in the vote taken by Council members. It is good to point out that the job consisted of the ‘antiporta’ done in solid oak.  This was duly endorsed and ratified by the Executive Secretary

"I trust the above rebuttal is self-explanatory. Nothing was done without the knowledge, endorsement and approval by the Council Members and Executive Secretary."