ANNUAL income data for
301,332 registered employees in
2024 shows a pronounced divide
in earnings based on citizenship.
Non-EU foreign workers,
or Third Country Nationals
(TCNs), are heavily concentrat-
ed in the lowest income brack-
ets. EU citizens, on the other
hand, are more likely to reach
the top tiers of income. The
information is derived from a
statistical analysis of
data provided by
Finance Minister
Clyde Caruana in
a reply to a par-
liamentary ques-
tion by Nationalist MP Ivan
Castillo. TCNs overwhelm-
ingly dominate lower-in-
come segments.
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PAGE 11
Screwed by
their notary
Scores of victims cheated by disbarred notary Thomas
Vella were left with no property registered to their name
despite having paid stamp duty
KARL
AZZOPARDI
kazzopardi@mediatoday.com.mt
DISBARRED notary Thom-
as Vella is currently serving
prison time after admitting to
misappropriating the funds en-
trusted to him by 85 clients.
Having been charged in
2019, Vella had initially de-
nied the accusations, but in
November 2024 changed his
plea. He was eventually con-
victed, fined €150,000 and the
court ordered the confisca-
tion of €661,000.
Vella, son of the late former
Judge Patrick Vella who was
also jailed after taking bribes
in 2007, was also the nota-
ry who published the Vitals
Global Healthcare contract
for the three state hospital.
Disbarred notary Thomas Vella giving the thumbs up in this undated photo
before he was sentenced to prison
JAMES
DEBONO
jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt
Income data reveals sharp divide by citizenship
