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MALTATODAY 29 August 2021

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4 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 29 AUGUST 2021 NEWS THE ULTIMATE SUMMER SPA DAY DEAL It's time to spoil and pamper yourself! is package includes: 2 treatments from the following treatments; - 30min flash effect facial refreshing & oxygenating - 30min massage for the neck, shoulder & back - 30min Volume Up Lips, glow & contour - 30min Body Scrub & Hydration, with firming or anti cellulite cream Full access to our SPA SANA facilities for the ultimate relaxation and detox, facilities include: Far Infrared Cabin - Bio-Sauna -Salt inhalation Room - Meditation / Relaxation Room - Ice Room -Experience Showers - Kniepp - Foot baths - Indoor Pool 3 Course Lunch at e Village Kitchen Restaurant with a delectable selection of tasty dishes to choose from our set menu. (Drinks not included) Use of outdoor pool up to 7pm. (sun beds are subject to availability) SPECIAL LIMITED TIME OFFER €119 per person (Valued at €155) Gi Vouchers for this offer are also available and valid up to 30th September 2021 Bookings required by email; info@villagehotelmalta.com For more information kindly visit our website www.villagehotelmalta.com or contact us on 2798 8357 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 The inquiry board declared that witnesses had confirmed "an odious practice of clien- telism and recommendations" and accused De Bono of act- ing unacceptably by passing on names of candidates to be "taken care of". Despite being a non-executive chair of the board, De Bono – politically-appointed to the role in 2013 and again in 2017 – was seen to take an active interest in the college's running, with a hands-on approach that led to him currying excessive familiar- ity with Abdilla herself, instead of allowing the school principal to act as the college's CEO. De Bono was also the head of his own privately-owned educa- tional centre, IDEA, which was offering graduate and post-grad- uate programmes that placed him in a conflict of interest by occupying the highest role in a public institution while running his own private college. Despite this conflict, De Bono was re-appointed to his post for another three years in 2017. De Bono was alleged to have recommended prospective can- didates for a teaching job. He himself admitted to the inquiry board of having taken an active interest in prospective appli- cants for a teaching job, saying he would pass on his recommen- dation to Abdilla so that should the applicants fare well in their interviews "then they should be considered." But De Bono appears to have also acted as a messenger for the Office of the Prime Minis- ter, saying that Castille would request that certain applicants be given a job. De Bono said he would always see that should such candidates satisfy the re- quired criteria first and fore- most, before they be allowed to progress in the selection pro- cess. De Bono admitted that this po- litical pressure to select 'recom- mended' candidates happened all the time. But he denied giving anyone unfair advantage or that unmeritorious candidates were allowed to progress in a job in- terview. The "over-enthusiastic" De Bono was also said to have had a direct link with Josephine Ab- dilla, who later would accuse him of pocketing a 'commission' from newly-recruited teach- ers' salaries. The allegation was never proven in the inquiry, af- ter Abdilla failed to provide any evidence of her allegations when repeatedly asked. De Bono's "hands on" inter- est in the college's running al- lowed him to take priority over the school principal himself. In turn, his excessive familiarity with Josephine Abdilla, who ran the HR department, allowed her to wield this influence with her own subordinates, giving the impression that her demands carried the stamp of approval from De Bono himself. When Abdilla, faced with com- plaints from her subordinates, was placed on special leave, she hit back by alleging that De Bono was recommending which teaching candidates should be employed at MCAST – even in the eventual choice of Stephen Cachia's replacement as school principal, Dr James Calleja. Abdilla claimed with the in- quiry that such recommenda- tions would come from Labour MPs such as Silvio Parnis, or the wife of former Gozo minister Anton Refalo. Cachia did corroborate these complaints from Abdilla: name- ly recommendations commu- nicated to her from ministerial 'customer care' offices, and that even De Bono himself would pronounce himself in favour of Pressure from Castille, ministers and MPs for job recommendations inside MCAST

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