Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1544268
THE Commissioner for Stand- ards in Public Life has cleared Health Minister Jo Etienne Ab- ela of accusations of nepotism, while recommending changes to how private employment agen- cies recruit employees for the public sector. The standards czar has urged government to ensure that any future government vacancies issued by third-party contrac- tors explicitly identify the pub- lic entity or workplace where the job is located. The investigation was trig- gered by a complaint regard- ing Abela's nephew and his girlfriend who were engaged as clerks at the Gozo General Hospital through an employ- ment agency. While the com- missioner found no evidence of ethical breaches or ministe- rial interference, the probe ex- posed a lack of transparency in the recruitment process. The standards czar said that the investigation revealed that Signal 8, the employment agency involved in the case, frequently issued generic job advertisements on social media and their website. These ads typically called for "clerks in Gozo" or "reception- ists" without naming the place of work. The commissioner expressed serious concern that this prac- tice excludes qualified individ- uals who might only be inter- ested in working for a specific public entity or in a convenient location like the Gozo hospital. The standards czar recom- mended that calls for applica- tions must specify which public entity or organisation requires the employees. Meanwhile, Health Minister Jo Etienne Abela welcomed the decision. 2 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 8 APRIL 2026 NEWS MATTHEW FARRUGIA mfarrugia@mediatoday.com.mt 'Authorities must act at once' on Noma Island: Din l-Art Helwa DIN l-Art Ħelwa Gozo has ex- pressed it's full support of the Għajnsielem Local Council in calling for the immediate re- moval of Noma Island from Comino's waters. "The authorities must act at once," they said, insisting that Noma Island should be re- moved with no further delay. The NGO pointed out that the situation is especially serious since Comino forms part of a Natura 2000 site and includes a Special Area of Conservation. They also referred to the con- cerns raised by BirdLife Malta regarding the impact of arti- ficial light, noise, and distur- bance on seabirds and the sur- rounding marine environment, also condemning the situation as "reckless and irresponsible." Din l-Art Ħelwa Gozo pro- vided a photograph taken on Monday night, showing an "un- acceptable" level of pollution falling upon Comino, saying that "This alone is deeply dis- turbing." They pointed out that no par- ties were taking place on the boat at the time, raising con- cerns about the worsening of noise and light pollution gener- ated once parties are being held. "Such intrusion is entirely in- compatible with the protection owed to one of the most sensi- tive natural areas in the Maltese Islands," said Din l-Art Ħelwa Gozo in a statement. Yesterday, the Għajnsielem Local Council objected to per- mits for Noma Island to oper- ate around Comino's coastline, insisting it is incompatible with the island's protected status. The Council called on the relevant authorities to refrain from issuing any further per- mits, or to retract existing ones, to prioritise "the long-term protection, sustainability, and ecological integrity of Comino." EVA BRANNON ebrannon@mediatoday.com.mt Din l-Art Helwa Gozo provided a photograph taken on Monday night, showing an "unacceptable" level of pollution falling upon Comino (Photo: Din l-Art Helwa Ghawdex) Health minister cleared of ethics breach in relation to employment of nephew and his girlfriend The standards commissioner recommended that employment agencies advertising jobs within government entities must clarify the specific workplace being advertised