More ministers ban visitors from carrying mobile phones inside ministerial offices

The fear of being recorded on a mobile phone has led the Office of the Prime Minister to suggest to ministers to consider banning the use mobile phones of third parties from their offices.

MaltaToday has been informed that in a visit by Green MEPs José Bové and Bart Staes and their two assistants to the ministry for home affairs and national security, the delegation was asked to deposit their mobile phones before their meeting with minister Manuel Mallia.

The practice was established well before the election campaign inside Labour headquarters, when visitors meeting Joseph Muscat would be instructed to leave their mobile phones with a secretary, before entering his office.

Foreign minister George Vella has applied the same rule for visitors.

Undoubtedly, the fear of being recorded emanates from two specific incidents that surfaced in the electoral campaign: the first were edited recordings of General Workers Union secretary-general Tony Zarb, allegedly recorded claiming he could guarantee the favourable treatment of unionised companies under a Labour government; and Labour deputy leader for party affairs Toni Abela, who is heard recounting an incident inside a PL party club where patrons had allegedly been using drugs.

The ease with which a person can be recorded on a smartphone or even simpler models has led many politicians to fear that their private conversations may be used against them.