Standards czar: Abela’s refusal to table cabinet's 2023 asset declaration ‘a big step back for transparency’

The Commissioner for Standards in Public Life has stated that Prime Minister Robert Abela's refusal to table cabinet's 2023 asset declarations represents a major step backward for transparency.

The standards czar expressed his concern in response to a complaint which he decided not to continue investigating regarding Abela's failure to table the declarations.

The primary reason for this decision is that the issue raised by the complaint had been addressed by a ruling from Speaker Anġlu Farrugia.

READ ALSO | Stubborn Abela refuses to publish cabinet's 2023 asset declarations

The complaint, filed on 6 December 2024, by ADPD deputy chairperson Carmel Cacopardo stated that it was a "known fact that the Prime Minister and Cabinet Members have still not presented their asset declaration in Parliament for the year 2023, as established by the applicable Code of Ethics".

In response to the complaint, the Commissioner's Office conducted a preliminary inquiry, writing to cabinet secretary Ryan Spagnol to inquire about the accessibility and tabling of the 2023 declarations. 

Spagnol confirmed the declarations were submitted to him by the end of March 2024 in accordance with the code of ethics and cabinet handbook, but added he was unaware of any further legal obligation to table them.

"It is of the opinion of this office that the lack of publication of the 2023 asset declaration, and the way by which a change in the asset declaration system was proposed represent a substantial step backward for transparency..." the standards czar wrote.

The changes he was referring to were part of Abela's response to another complaint over his refusal to publish the 2023 asset declarations. In February, the standards czar urged Abela to make them public.

But a few days later, Abela told MaltaToday that he has no obligation to publish the declarations. Prime Ministers have made it an unofficial practice to publish such information, with the standards czar himself saying that there is no reason not to publish it.