Manuel Mallia approved as High Commissioner to UK

Former minister and Labour MP Manuel Mallia has been approved as Malta’s next UK High Commissioner, sources have confirmed

Last October, MaltaToday reported the Maltese government had been told of concerns by the British foreign office on the former minister.

His predecessor, the career diplomat Joseph Cole took up his position on 1 August 2018, after serving four years in the Netherlands, and had his letter of agrément issued within three weeks; former High Commissioner Norman Hamilton had also been announced in August 2013, and his letter of agrément issued in August, commencing his term in September 2013.

Mallia is a former minister for home affairs and national security, but recently he threatened libel action against former book council head Mark Camilleri. Camilleri alleged that Mallia was involved in fuel smuggling and money laundering, in his book 'A Rentseeker’s Paradise'.

Manuel Mallia denied the claims by Camilleri, a Labour Party delegate who however fell out with the party after it was embroiled in widespread corruption allegations.

Camilleri claimed that Mallia not only abetted and aided the money laundering of proceeds from Libyan contraband fuel, but was also “invested” in ythe black market.

“Emmanuel Mallia owned a ship along with another oil smuggler called It-Turu dedicated to his father,” Camilleri wrote on Facebook.