Cassola says Muscat diplomatic passport should be investigated for ethics breach

Independent politician Arnold Cassola has graced incoming Commissioner for Public Standards Joseph Azzopardi with his first standards complaint, requesting reasons as to why former prime minister Joseph Muscat retains a diplomatic passport “when Muscat is no longer a public official or representative of the government of Malta.”

Cassola referred to a PQ in which Prime Minister Robert Abela said a diplomatic passport for Muscat had been included as part of his severance package, adding that the disgraced former Labour leader was no longer a public official or representative of the government of Malta.

“This is an unheard-of misuse of power. A diplomatic passport is retained and used by officers of the Maltese state or persons working on diplomatic missions for the Maltese authorities. Joseph Muscat is neither of the two.”

Joseph Muscat severance package: full list

Cassola said it was also objectionable that Muscat, who is now in private business, should benefit from the continued use of a diplomatic passport – what Cassola said was a ‘public good’ – to benefit privately and individually.

Cassola said Azzopardi should investigated whether Abela was breaching the Code of Ethics by not withdrawing the use of the diplomatic passport by Muscat. “It is against the Code of Ethics for Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries (Chapter 570) because there is no law contemplating non-diplomats or persons who are not public officials from having a diplomatic passport, so allowing this retention and use to this day, is in breach of law and the duty of objectivity and accountability,” Cassola said.

He added that the Code of Ethics states that when ministers’ appointments are terminated, they return to the Cabinet Secretary all documents, material and resources given and entrusted to them in order to perform his duties. “As customary, it is within the Prime Minister’s discretion to permit to ex-Ministers reasonable access to documents and material concerning the period during which they held ministerial office.”

Cassola said it was not “reasonable” that Abela allows Muscat to retain the diplomatic passport three years after leaving office.

In comments to MaltaToday yesterday, former prime minister Lawrence Gonzi said that he also holds a diplomatic passport, but said this was not part of his ‘severance package’ when he left the House of Representatives in 2013. “My wife and I hold a diplomatic passport at the pleasure of the Malta government – not part of the severance package. It proves useful especially when on official business such as when I was on official assignments on behalf of the Commonwealth Secretariat, or participation at EPP summits or at other international group meetings of which I am an active member. I am presently in London attending such a meeting.”

Cassola later commented that unlike Muscat, Gonzi might “not have frequented a person known to be a suspected assassin”, but said the former Nationalist PM was abusing his past position.

“Pleasure of the Malta government, my foot,” Cassola quipped. “In democratic countries only those travelling on official government business can hold diplomatic passports. And wives holding it too... is preposterous. Muscat, Abela and Gonzi are three prime ministers who are abusing of the power they hold or held.”