Standards report on Muscat show low standards in public life: Repubblika

A Standards Commissioner report on perks given to Joseph Muscat after he resigned from office in 2019 show the low standards in public life, rule of law NGO Repubblika said.

"The commissioner confirmed that the ministers in Joseph Muscat's Cabinet gave him a gift paid for by taxpayers which was at least twice that given to previous prime ministers, even though he stepped down after the biggest political scandal in history," Repubblika said.

The standards czar said on Wednesday the terminal benefits package granted to former prime minister Joseph Muscat reflected new elements not previously included in similar packages.

The lump sum was equivalent to double a month’s pay of prime minister for each year Muscat served as Opposition leader and prime minister between October 2008 and January 2020.

Repubblika described the package as theft of public funds, raising questions over the commissioner’s inability to take further action.

Commissioner Joseph Azzopardi argued that he couldn't proceed with any additional steps since Robert Abela wasn't serving as prime minister at the time the Cabinet decided to present Muscat with the gift.

However, Republika highlighted that upon assuming the role of prime minister, Robert Abela compelled the tourism minister to refrain from presenting a gift, which former minister Konrad Mizzi had intended for himself upon resigning a week prior to Muscat.

"Robert Abela could and should have done the same in Muscat's case," the NGO argued.

Repubblika emphasised the Cabinet remained accountable to the law, and ministers were still obligated to uphold ethical standards. The findings by the standards commissioner, indicating that the ministers had bestowed a gift upon Muscat without legal foundation, revealed an abuse of power and a breach of Cabinet confidentiality.

It said that while recognizing the confidentiality of Cabinet documents, allowing ministers to freely deliberate before reaching a collective decision, it was underscored that this confidentiality did not entitle them to conceal acts of theft and unethical conduct, as demonstrated in this instance. “It was due to this secrecy that more than two years had passed before the complaint was raised. Abela had even initially refuted the existence of such a benefits package.”

“If the law really did not allow anyone to do anything, despite knowing about theft that was hidden behind lies, then the law needed to be changed so that everyone could be held to account, including the Cabinet,” it said.