Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1530039
3 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 1 DECEMBER 2024 NEWS "Instead, the issue was al- lowed to drag on for three whole weeks until the Prime Minister found the pretext to force Clayton out but not Clint [Camilleri]," the MP added. Another MP said the Prime Minister and those closest to him in Castille feel under siege. "Any criticism is inter- preted as an attack, which is why Robert Abela's words did not surprise me because he is realising that nobody is happy with him," the MP told Malt- aToday. But a third MP suggested the Prime Minister had his hands tied on the Bartolo affair be- cause three years prior the Office of the Prime Minister had already been privy to the engagement of Bartolo's now wife, Amanda Muscat, as a consultant. "If the Prime Minister had consented to the consultancy back then; knew of Amanda's transfer to the Gozo Ministry; and claims to have terminated her job himself in 2021; how could he cut both ministers loose in the aftermath of the Standards Commissioner's findings?" Bartolo resigned from minis- ter and the PL parliamentary group last Tuesday over an al- leged case of bribery involving his wife, Amanda Muscat, that had nothing to do with the ethics breach identified by the Standards Commissioner. It appears to have been the straw that broke the camel's back. The Financial Intelligence and Analysis Unit is report- ed to have flagged suspicious transactions worth €50,000 that Muscat received from a company linked to a former Italian cyclist who was given a contract by the Malta Tourism Authority last year. The FIAU passed on the information to the police for further investi- gation on suspicion the funds were a kickback. Until the new revelations were out, the Prime Minister had been pushing back against calls for the resignations of Bartolo and Camilleri. The Standards Commissioner had found they abused their power when employing Muscat as a consultant, a job she was not qualified for and which she did not perform. Parliament's ethics commit- tee decided last week to rep- rimand both politicians and in Bartolo's case, make an apolo- gy in the House and refund the extra money paid to Muscat. Abela continues to insist Camilleri should not resign and the reprimand by par- liament's ethics committee should suffice in his regard. Calls for Camilleri's resigna- tion persist and the Nationalist Party will be holding a second protest outside parliament on Monday evening. But a fourth Labour MP was sympathetic with Camilleri's position, suggesting it would be unfair on him to shoulder the ultimate burden for some- thing he was dragged into. "The way Clayton [Bartolo] was made to resign following the second case was clearly intended to save Clint Camill- eri's skin, who ended up em- broiled in the ethics scandal because of someone else's bid- ding," the person said of the Prime Minister's justification to accept Bartolo's resignation and not ask for Camilleri's. That someone else is very like- ly to be Abela. Clayton affair killed the budget's positive vibes: 'We have become a joke' Another MP expressed plain disillusionment over the cur- rent state of the government: "The Clayton affair killed the positive vibes we were expect- ing from a good budget. But scandals like these are made worse when there is a lack of leadership. It seems any- thing positive the government works on is simply not having an impact on a disillusioned electorate. We have become a joke." Within Labour circles there has been a constant hum of discontent over the Prime Minister's handling of embar- rassing crises, especially his flip-flopping on decisions. Many Labour MPs still feel jilted over the way the Jean Paul Sofia affair was dealt with in 2023 when they were made to vote against a public inquiry in parliament only to have the Prime Minister perform a complete U-turn 48 hours lat- er. "The Jean Paul Sofia case has made us wary of sticking our necks out too far in defending controversial decisions tak- en by the Prime Minister be- cause we fear there could be a change of heart at the top that leaves us looking like fools in front of the electorate," anoth- er MP told MaltaToday, add- ing this was the reason nobody was comfortable to publicly defend the decisions taken in the Bartolo affair. Magical Christmas from Monday 2/12 to 8/12 Big on Quality, Lidl on Price Even though every effort has been made to ensure adequate supplies, these items may sell out quickly. Prices do not include decorative material. Prices are valid save errors or omissions. 1kg = € 18.73 7. 49 400 pack 1kg = € 10.62 69. 00 6.5kg pack 6. 49 1000g pack 1kg = € 7.16 1. 79 250g pack Labour Party back in opposition' A screen grab of the Facebook message put up by Nationalist MP Alex Borg