Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/506094
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 3 MAY 2015 News 3 3 maltatoday, SUNDAY, 3 MAY 2015 CONTINUD FROM PAGE 1 The revelation betrays the government's intransigence and secrecy over the energy minister's wife's job in China: according to the Shanghai municipal government's web- site, the Maltese consulate-general has been established there since 5 Septem- ber, 2014, with Sai Mizzi as consul. The address was also listed as 777 Mag- nolia Plaza on Hongqiao Road, the same property acquired two months later from the Shanghai Hui Jing Real Estate Devel- opment Co. Ltd for RMB 13.3 million (€2.01 million). However, no similar listing yet exists on Malta's own foreign ministry website – in itself another confirmation of the secrecy surrounding the establishment of the con- sulate and Sai Mizzi's 'promotion' from trade envoy to diplomatic envoy. Despite being under pressure over the unilateral appointment of a minister's wife to a handsomely paid job, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has defended her appoint- ment as a much-needed representative of the government inside China. But the energy minister's wife has also en- joyed a remarkable veil of secrecy, with her contract having only been published in par- liament in July, 2014 after she appeared by Muscat's side in China. MaltaToday is still awaiting a decision by an ap- peals tribunal on a freedom of information request for the contracts of appointment for Sai Mizzi Liang and Shiv Nair, another trade envoy whose appointment was given little publicity by Malta Enteprise. Together with a salary of more than €73,000 a year, more than half of which is non-taxable, Sai Mizzi also receives a representation allowance of €3,261 a year; a child allowance of almost €3,000 a year; a fully paid residence; an official car with fully paid expenses and fuel; and the full reimbursement of the use of her mobile phone. She is also entitled for payment of private school- ing for her children – up to €18,783 a year; a 90 per cent reimbursement of medical, dental, and ophthalmic care for all members of her family; a one-time settling-in and outfit allowance; and 15 free flight tickets between Malta and Beijing for all members of her family, 10 of them being business class. mvella@mediatoday.com.mt Casa Antonia NURSING & RESIDENTIAL HOME 'No reason to resign' says GRTU president TIM DIACONO GRTU president and business- man Paul Abela has told Mal- taToday that he sees no reason to resign from his position in the small enterprise chamber, despite revelations that he could face per- jury charges. Last Sunday, MaltaToday re- ported that Abela could be charged with perjury under a new police investigation into whether he lied under oath when he said he witnessed former GRTU director- general Vince Farrugia being as- saulted by Sandro Chetcuti. The GRTU's statute bars coun- cil members from retaining their posts when they face criminal charges. When asked by MaltaToday whether he would resign if he is charged in court, Abela said that he would be seeking legal advice and make a decision at a later date. He also said that he plans to sue MaltaToday for libel. Chetcuti has successfully chal- lenged the police force's reticence to investigate Farrugia and his GRTU colleagues for perjury, af- ter a judge said the police should investigate GRTU officials over their false evidence. Vince Farrugia currently occu- pies a government role as the rep- resentative of Maltese employers on the European Economic and Social Committee that falls un- der Helena Dalli's Civil Liberties ministry. His appointment in 2010 under the previous administration was widely considered to be a po- litical move, and had come under fire from the Malta Employers' Association. When contacted by MaltaTo- day about Farrugia's future in the forum, Dalli said that the govern- ment is considering the situation and will make a decision "in due course". Sandro Chetcuti, today the president of the Malta Developers' Association, was charged with the attempted murder of Vince Farru- gia following a brawl with him at the GRTU offices in 2010. The al- tercation was the result of an SMS that Chetcuti texted erroneously to Farrugia, when the message was intended to be sent to then Oppo- sition leader Joseph Muscat. The charges were later down- graded to grievous bodily harm, and a court found Chetcuti guilty of slightly injuring Farrugia. But Attorney General Peter Grech's change of heart about the gravity of the original charge of attempted murder came about soon after a number of SMSs were downloaded from Farrugia's mo- bile phone, which were presented in court in the compilation of evi- dence on the insistence of both the prosecution and the defence. The SMSs confirmed that Far- rugia was suborning witnesses into giving a misleading version of events of the incident. In one SMS, Farrugia reminded Abela to repeat that Sandro Chet- cuti used the word: "Noqtlok" (I will kill you). Farrugia also asked Abela to say that Chetcuti made his "kill you" threat as Chetcuti was hitting Farrugia. Paul Abela, who did as he was asked, was not even in the room, it transpired later. tdiacono@mediatoday.com.mt nolia Plaza on Hongqiao Road, the same property acquired two months later from the Shanghai Hui Jing Real Estate Devel- opment Co. Ltd for RMB 13.3 million However, no similar listing yet exists on Malta's own foreign ministry website – in itself another confirmation of the secrecy surrounding the establishment of the con- sulate and Sai Mizzi's 'promotion' from Despite being under pressure over the unilateral appointment of a minister's wife to a handsomely paid job, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has defended her appoint- ment as a much-needed representative of But the energy minister's wife has also en- joyed a remarkable veil of secrecy, with her contract having only been published in par- liament in July, 2014 after she appeared by for the contracts of appointment for Sai Consulate not listed on foreign ministry website