Julia Farrugia Portelli requests review of all recent Malta Tourism Authority contracts

Tourism Minister Julia Farrugia Portelli asks for all MTA contracts awarded in past months to be reviewed in light of the controversy surrounding Konrad Mizzi’s consultancy

Tourism Minister Julia Farrugia Portelli
Tourism Minister Julia Farrugia Portelli

Julia Farrugia Portelli has requested a review of all contracts awarded by the Malta Tourism Authority in the past months.

The Tourism Minster said all such contracts would be vetted "to check their validity".

The move comes in light of the controversy surrounding the €80,000 a year consultancy contract to former minister Konrad Mizzi, which has now been terminated.

Farrugia Portelli, who was speaking after a press conference on the terminal expansion at Malta International Airport, said that, following the vetting exercise, any action which was needed would be taken.

The minister declined to explain on what grounds Mizzi's contract was terminated, saying that she was "restricted" in any comments she gave since she did not want to prejudice any party if the annulment of the consultancy was legally challenged.

"I don't want to give an advantage to one party or another because of any comments I might make," Farrugia Portelli said.

Asked if she expected that Mizzi would contest the termination, Farrugia Portelli said she didn't mean to imply this, but that everyone was free to take the legal steps they felt necessary.

The minister added that there were "legal and ethical reasons" why Mizzi's contract was terminated, without giving further details.