PAC: Government members block Opposition request for further information on film commission payments

Government members on Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Monday voted against a motion by Opposition members seeking to request further documentation from the Malta Film Commission.

The decision came after Speaker Farrugia ruled last week that PAC members themselves must decide whether to summon Film Commissioner Johann Grech again to provide additional details on payments amounting to €7.2 million.

The Speaker noted that, under parliamentary guidelines, witnesses before the PAC are required to answer questions “carefully, fully and honestly,” but left it up to the committee to determine whether to pursue more information.

Opposition members, led by PAC chair Darren Carabott, argued that the committee should insist on receiving full documentation, including invoices and proof of payments, to ensure transparency on public spending. Carabott said the PAC could not fulfill its oversight role if it chose to block access to such information itself.

Government MPs, however, maintained that the information already provided by the Film Commission was sufficient. Government member Alex Muscat said the commission had given a detailed breakdown of expenditure and that there was no need to continue stretching out this matter.

The vote means the PAC will not be making a renewed request to the Film Commission at this stage, despite the Speaker’s indication that it would have been within its remit to do so.

The information in question relates to €7.2 million in public funds spent by the Malta Film Commission between 2019 and 2022.

The PAC had initially requested data showing payment dates, recipients, justifications, and copies of invoices. So far, only a general financial breakdown has been submitted.

Opposition members expressed disappointment at the outcome, saying the committee had effectively “voted to limit its own access to public financial data.”

The Speaker’s ruling, delivered on 27 October, concluded that while the PAC has the right to seek further details from the Film Commission, it is ultimately for members of the committee to decide whether to exercise that right.