Another Cassola complaint for Hyzler to probe: Joseph Muscat’s Sa Maison office

Standards czar George Hyzler’s email inbox pinged yet again Friday morning, with a complaint from Arnold Cassola – arguably the office’s most ardent promoter – for an ethics probe on a severance package for former prime minister Joseph Muscat.

The former Green Party, now independent candidate, started off his latest complaint to public standards commissioner George Hyzler with an apology:

“Dear Commissioner, first of all I apologise for bothering you once again. But the pandemic of political dirt that has taken over our country is showing no signs of waning...”

Cassola has asked Hyzler to investigate how ethicla it is for the Maltese government to authorise the concession of a property, namely the former Transport Malta offices at Sa Maison, as part of a severance package for former prime minister Joseph Muscat.

 “How ethical is it for the PM to refuse to reveal details on this matter, which is in the public interest? I bring to your attention that this matter is ongoing and is therefore not prescribed at law. I thank you for your patience and the useful work you carry out.”

Cassola this week also requested an investigation into the Malta Film Awards by the Auditor General of Malta.

The Malta Film Awards spectacular were held last week, with former Little Britain star David Walliams hosting the event.

Various industry practitioners raised questions on the exorbitant price tag of the event and critiqued the Malta Film Commission’s priorities, arguing that money should be invested better.

Cassola said the declared budget for the award night was of €400,000, “a phenomenal sum, considering the Malta Film Commission has an annual budget of €600,000.”

He remarked how suspicions were raised on the accuracy of the declared sum, with Film Commissioner Johann Grech refusing to say whether the budget were exceeded or not.

“Various factors like the host’s wage, the amount of money spent on the importation of apparatus and the fact that the Film Commissioner was evasive and non-transparent on the spending, raise suspicions that the sum spent was over the budget,” Cassola said.

He also raised questions on whether it was cost effective to pay thousands to Walliams, to say that, “Malta has a lot of churches, fries rabbits and is a hub for tax evasion.”

“How much did this affirmation, that humiliated us Maltese, damage the country’s reputation and consequently cost us millions in foreign investment?” Cassola said.