Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1275149
15 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 2 AUGUST 2020 NEWS me." It also remains unclear whether the term lobbying applies to think-tanks and foundations funded by foreign governments. Muscat, under whose watch Malta's gas pro- vision was awarded to a com- pany which includes the Azeri government's SOCAR, has now joined the Nizami Ganjavi International Center, an Azer- baijani government-funded think tank which describes itself as a "cultural, non-prof- it, non-political organization dedicated to the memory of great Azerbaijani poet, Nizami Ganjavi" and to "build a dialogue and understanding between cultures and peoples for building functional and in- clusive societies". Azerbaijan is notorious for its caviar di- plomacy, which often involves trading in influence through sports and charitable activi- ties. One major radical change envisaged in the new code of ethics is that for the first three years following their resigna- tion or termination, ministers will be precluded from "hav- ing a relationship of profit with any private enterprise or non- government body with which they would have dealt while serving as Ministers." This rule would have effec- tively prevented former Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi from becoming one of the directors of Nemea. The on- line-only bank had its licence suspended by the European Central Bank following a sus- picious €10 million deposit from an Azerbaijani-owned company. Former Finance Minister Tonio Fenech, who left Price- waterhouseCoopers in 2004 to take up the job of parlia- mentary secretary for finance under Lawrence Gonzi, had also declared a long list of di- rectorships in parliament af- ter the 2013 election. These included his chairmanship of Abalone Asset Management, and as director of Credorax where he joined Tonio Depas- quale, the former Bank of Val- letta chief executive. He was also director of Falcon Funds, which was facing a criminal investigation in Sweden for its inability to pay back Swedish savers their monies. Former finance minister and disgraced EU commissioner John Dalli also made forays in the private sector in between terms in office. Following his party's 1996 defeat, Dalli worked for a very short period as a financial consultant with Daewoo but then left to work with the Corinthia Group. When back in government, Dalli found himself on the receiving end of criticism on the bankruptcy of the Daewoo franchise in Malta, following the sanctioning of heavy loans to the company from Bank of Valletta. Dalli was not the only poli- tician to be recruited by busi- ness giant Corinthia. After having served as Sant's tour- ism minister till 1998, Kar- menu Vella was appointed executive chairman of Corin- thia Hotels International from 2001 until 2007. Subsequent- ly he was appointed execu- tive chairman of Corinthia's Mediterranean Construction Co Ltd until 2010. Vella's ap- pointment at Corinthia would have still been permissible un- der the new code of ethics as this only restricts the employ- ment of former ministers in the first three years after their resignation. One issue which needs to be tackled in the next years is whether the State should give ministers a transitional allow- ances to prevent 'revolving doors' conflicts. This already exists but does not preclude them from finding immediate employment. Pressies and obligations: a gift register The Labour Party made a killing on the eve of the 2013 election when it had emerged that former minister Tonio Fenech had been gifted a tra- ditional Maltese clock, known as an Arlogg tal-Lira (estimat- ed to cost €500) made by In- es Farrugia, the sister-in-law of oil trader George Farrugia, who had been granted a pres- idential pardon by the PN ad- ministration in exchange for his evidence in the oil pro- curement scandal. But the past returned to haunt Muscat when it emerged that he was gifted a €20,000 Bul- gari watch and three vintage Petrus wine bottles by Yorgen Fenech, the alleged master- mind in the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia. Although the gifts were num- bered and left to the State, the Petrus gift (valued at €5,800) was deemed to constitute a breach of the existing code of ethics, which already bans ministers from accepting any gifts, or benefits, which may give the impression that they are compromising their judge- ment. "Muscat accepted this gift as an individual, and not as the head of government, and as a result he became personally obliged to Yorgen Fenech," standards commis- sioner George Hyzler wrote in his damning report on the matter. But in his proposed code of ethics Hyzler goes a step for- ward, not just precluding any gifts which place ministers and MPs "under an obliga- tion", but also proposing a transparent system through which other legitimate gifts are registered. According to the proposed code, MPs will have have to register gifts with a value of over €250, which they receive from donors in Malta and abroad. They must also regis- ter multiple benefits from the same source if taken togeth- er these have a value of more than €250 in a period of twelve months. They also have to register any gifts of the same value, which they bestow to others. jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt Ministerial Do's and Don'ts Don'ts • Accept a job or a business offer from businesses or NGOs with which they had dealt while serving as Ministers for three years after their resignation or the termination of their ap- pointment. • Lobby government in the three years following their resigna- tion or the termination of their appointment. • Bestow gifts with a view of in- fluencing others on matters in which the Ministers have an interest. • Use private email to conduct official business. • Meet persons with an interest in obtaining permits, author- izations and other benefits from the state, over lunch or coffee or in any other official setting and not in the presence of state officials. • Associate with individuals who would place them under any obligations or inappropriate influence. • Get involved in the taking of decisions that affect their fam- ily members or other persons close to them. • Continue with their private work while in office. • Travel with spouses or partners when this is not necessary or in the public interest. Do's • Ministers can accept and be- stow gifts from partners and family members without any obligation to register them. • They have to register all gifts of over €250 including multiple benefits from the same source if taken together these have a value of more than €250 in a period of twelve months. • Register all relevant communi- cation with lobbyists in a trans- parency register. • Freely communicate with po- litical parties and religious en- tities on matters not related to zoning of land or use of public funds. • Record their assets and finan- cial interests in a Register of Interests including their own immovable property, that of their spouse or partner, shares in companies, directorships in commercial companies, par- ticipation in joint ventures, partnerships, and trusts. Fenech: former finance minister got back on the finance bandwagon with directorships and other forays in the financial world Vella: former tourism minister got a Corinthia job before becoming minister again in 2013 Caspian godfather: Ilham Aliyev uses his State's largesse to keep former PMs in jobs and with some handy pocket-money