Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1483693
3 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 9 NOVEMBER 2022 NEWS Minister shuns call for resignation over handling of sexual harassment case at national orchestra KURT SANSONE OWEN Bonnici has admitted taking no immediate steps to temporarily suspend the nation- al orchestra's top brass when he became aware of sexual harass- ment claims last September. But the Culture Minister said on TVM's Xtra that when he had been approached by the vic- tim on 6 September, he directed her to the gender-based violence commissioner. "I directed the victim to the gender-based violence commis- sioner, which is the institution best-placed to deal with these issues," he said. "I am informed that the commissioner followed up on the case." Bonnici refuted suggestions by Opposition culture spokesper- son Julie Zahra that he should have suspended the top people immediately. Zahra has called on the minis- ter to shoulder political respon- sibility for his failure to act im- mediately and resign. "The victim told me that she was under distress at work be- cause of sexual harassment and the MPO's administration was not doing enough to support her. The Opposition believes that this was enough for me to suspend the CEO but I preferred to refer the matter to the compe- tent institutions and allow them to work," Bonnici insisted. He added that the victim re- signed formally from work a few days later and repeated the sexu- al harassment claims in writing without identifying the perpe- trator. "At this stage, as is government policy on sexual harassment, our ministry saw to the setting up of an external investigative board made up of two retired public of- ficers and a psychologist," Bonn- ici said. He defended his actions and insisted the institutions did work in this case with police eventual- ly charging the perpetrator, who admitted, and the CEO for tam- pering with evidence. "The institutions did work and within a relatively short timeframe we had two people charged in court – one has ad- mitted and the other is contest- ing the charges," the minister said. But Zahra reiterated the minis- ter failed the victim when he did not protect her. "You let her stay there among these sharks, which she had to see every day and this prompted her to resign. Today, the perpetrators are suspended on half pay but the victim lost her work," Zahra said, adding the minister was obliged to pro- tect the victim. The case involves a female member of the Malta Philhar- monic Orchestra who was sub- jected to repeated sexual harass- ment since 2019 by a 31-year-old Gozitan official at the orchestra. The police charged the perpe- trator at the end of October and the man admitted in court to the charges and was handed down a suspended sentence. His name cannot be published on court order. Subsequently, last week, the police charged MPO CEO Sig- mund Mifsud and accused him of tampering with evidence when he tried to suborn the victim from testifying. Mifsud pleaded not guilty and was re- manded in custody. Both men were suspended on half pay from the orchestra and an acting-CEO was appointed. Culture Minister Owen Bonnici (left) and Opposition counterpart Julie Zahra on Xtra MARIANNA CALLEJA THE Nationalist Party is calling for a clearer definition of the term 'agricul- tural land' to include livestock farms and beekeeping holdings, in the pro- posed agriculture lease reform. PN spokesperson Toni Bezzina said that apart from land used for the growth of crops, flowers, fruit trees, or vines the reform must also cover related agricul- tural activities. Bezzina presented five amendments to the reform currently being debated in parliament. He said the PN's propos- als were drafted following consultation with active farmers in Malta and Gozo. When determining fair rent, Bezzina said, the agricultural lease board should also take into consideration the po- tential income of the agricultural land in question not only the market value. Once the rent has been revised by the Board, it shall not exceed 1.5% per an- num of the value of the land, insisted Bezzina. Bezzina, accompanied by PN's lands spokesperson Rebekah Borg and Op- position whip Robert Cutajar, also pro- posed that the agricultural minister es- tablish a financial assistance scheme for tenants in respect of whom the Board has ordered an increase in the rent. The PN proposed that when agricul- tural land includes a building, the board needs to take into account the part of the building used as a residence, and that which is used for other agricultural purposes, such as storage. PN suggests new agriculture lease reform apply to animal farms too PN agriculture spokesperson Toni Bezzina proposes five amendments to the farmland lease reform Toni Bezzina accompanied by PN's lands spokesperson Rebekah Borg and Opposition whip Robert Cutajar (Photo: PN)