In a recent revelation, The Shift has somewhat exposed Finance Minister Clyde Caruana’s statements about Air Malta Executive Chairman David Curmi’s salary. Despite Caruana’s claim that Curmi was not being compensated for his role, documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act tell a different story.
According to The Shift’s findings, Curmi’s three-year contract with Air Malta is worth a staggering €774,000, making him the highest-paid local consultant. His annual salary amounts to €258,000, and he receives an additional €3,500 a month to cover VAT, totalling a monthly pay of €21,500. This breaks down to a substantial €124 an hour for leading Air Malta, who is a company that is facing financial problems.
Caruana has consistently avoided divulging the financial details of Curmi’s appointment, refusing to answer parliamentary questions and rejecting freedom of information requests. However, after legal challenges by The Shift, the contract was finally obtained, raising serious concerns about transparency and accountability.
The former Chamber of Commerce president was tasked with turning around Air Malta’s financial woes and leading it toward profitability. Despite his efforts, quite the opposite has occurred and attempts to shed loss-making departments, including ground handling operations, failed to yield positive results, resulting in continued losses.
In a press release, the Nationalist Party said that the Maltese people should not accept that a Government Minister of “blatantly lies to the highest political institution of this country.”
The PN has asked the Commissioner of Standards to investigate the integrity of Clyde Caruana as Minister of Finance.
#MaltaDaily