Christian Peregin
PL's editor has 'conflict of interest'
Editor will defend his rights in court
The new editor of the Labour Party's Sunday newspaper Kullħadd has been told to choose between his job at Malta Enterprise and his role as editor since the two posts have been deemed to be "incompatible".
Wenzu Mintoff is head of legal services at Malta Enterprise and Malta Industrial Parks Ltd, a role which means he oversees all the government agency's agreements and contracts. This makes him privy to commercially-sensitive information as well as to requests for financial assistance from local companies.
Sources said it was not considered appropriate for a senior employee of an important arm of the government to be perceived - both within the organisation and externally - as having such a serious potential conflict of interest. The sources added that members of the business community had also expressed unease about this kind of information being in the hands of a newspaper editor and this had promoted complaints.
Malta Enterprise chairman Alan Camilleri confirmed there was a "management issue", which had been communicated to Dr Mintoff by the board of directors, but he refused to comment further.
Finance Minister Tonio Fenech said when contacted that there was a clear code of ethics for officers in the public sector which showed these two roles were in conflict.
"Newspapers carry a lot of stories about people in business and government contracts. This puts him in a very difficult position because he has access to a lot of confidential information."
Mr Fenech said the problem had already manifested itself in some articles published since Dr Mintoff took over the editorship of the newspaper.
The Finance Minister added that the situation would be the same if Dr Mintoff were the editor of any other newspaper. Sources also questioned how Dr Mintoff - who does not get paid for his post at the newspaper - could perform such a demanding role without impinging on his full-time post at Malta Enterprise.
However, Dr Mintoff is challenging the position of Malta Enterprise, arguing the code of ethics does not apply to him since the editorship of Kullħadd is a political role he is entitled to hold.
He declined to express an opinion on the issue when contacted by The Sunday Times yesterday, other than saying the matter was being handled by his lawyers.
"I find it very surprising that a Malta Enterprise internal matter has been leaked to your newspaper," he added.
When asked whether it believed the two roles were in conflict, the Labour Party said this was "yet another case of political victimisation and double standards".
The PL said it was also a clear case of the agenda of the party in government overlapping with State institutions.
"Labour has clear and unequivocal indications that this is a reprisal by high-ranking personalities within the Nationalist Party who have been exposed for what they did in Kullħadd," a Labour spokesman said, adding that Dr Mintoff would be defending his rights in court.
Malta Enterprise is the government agency responsible for attracting investment and giving incentives, while Malta Industrial Parks Ltd is the company that manages all the government's industrial estates.
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GiovDeMartino@ CJ Buttigieg
Jan 25th 2010, 18:19
Possibbli ghadu ma ghaddilekx Sur Buttigieg? Ikkalma ghax l-inkwiet hazin ghall-pressjoni. Veru li ghandna gvern ta' minoranza li gab bis 40 fil-mija tal-voti, imma xi trid taghmel jekk il-lejburisti gabu INQAS?
Mike Magri
Jan 25th 2010, 13:21
Charles J. Buttigieg... That`s right my friend... Kullhatt xortih fid-dinja... U dan meta Fr. Montebello qieghed jitkellem u jghallem it-taghlim socjalista ta Kristu stess, fill-prattika. Mhux bhal fill-kas ta Dun Peter... SFACCATAMENT KONSULENT POLITIKU tal-PN, u li ma jiddejjaq XEJN jiddefendihom politikament kullimkien u b`kull mezz li jista`...!!!!
GHARUKAZA........
Galea. L
Jan 24th 2010, 21:41
How about the various posts held by EneMalta chairman with private companies where one of the subsidiaries was awarded the power station extension?
How about the ex-chairman of ADT where he also had a company installing speed cameras?
Just two examples of conflict of interest, but this time they happen to be on the government side.
Charles J. Buttigieg
Jan 24th 2010, 19:12
@ Mike Magri
Dun Peter OK,no problem. Il problema Mark Montebello ghax jikteb bix-xellug.
Mike Magri
Jan 24th 2010, 18:39
Hey Guys... How about Dun Peter Seracino Inglott....!!??
Dosn`t his Numerous and Contineous DIRECT POLITICAL involvement with EFA and now GonziPN & Co. consitute a much much greater degree of ANY of the so called `Conflict of Interest` with his supposedly unique role, of a PRIEST FOR ALL, PN and PL alike...!!??
I very much beleive so, you know...!!
Charles J. Buttigieg
Jan 24th 2010, 17:59
U mela mela.... Last month Labour leader Dr Joseph Muscat and Labour MP Evarist Bartolo met the National Auditor and presented him documents to show that both Lahmeyer International and BWSC were represented in Malta by Joseph Mizzi through Typeset Limited.
Joseph Mizzi, on behalf of BWSC, submits a tender for the extension of the power station. He boasts with his principals that he has good political connections and friends at Enemalta. The Government changes the law to increase the bench mark regulating emissions and by doing so BWSC overcomes its difficulties. Enemalta consults with Lahmeyers International through Joe Mizzi’s Typeset Ltd. who in turn strongly recommends BWSC.
Tal biki man......Gonzipn sees no conflict of interest there. And then they saw a serious threat to democracy, accountability, transparency and a conflict of interest in Wenzu’s part time job as editor of the PL’s Sunday newspaper.
Tal biki man meta tiftakar li 40% tal Maltin ivvutawlom.
Joe Cassar
Jan 24th 2010, 17:50
"members of the business community had also expressed unease about this kind of information being in the hands of a newspaper editor and this had promoted complaints."
What are they afraid of? What are they trying to hide?
victor caruana
Jan 24th 2010, 16:31
QUOTE; 'The sources added that members of the business community had also expressed unease about this kind of information being in the hands of a newspaper editor and this had promoted complaints.'
Now this is something. Of course those who expressed such concern do not want to be scrutinised on what goes under the counter.
On second thoughts, his role of both editor and lawyer for the ME should bring about peace of mind that no monkey business is done with business.
Silvan Cutajar
Jan 24th 2010, 16:17
I dont think one can just jump to conclusions here. Holding a managerial role with a corporation and being in politics is one thing. then taking up a post of editor with the legal obligations brought with it is another. I think this assessment fully fits the situation. Its the newspaper editor part that seems to be at issue, not being political active in committees and all. So much so that it is not the political activism (or posts) that is mentioned, but the editorial obligations of being an editor.
Victor Laiviera
Jan 24th 2010, 14:48
What breathtaking hypocrisy and double-standards!
What about (just to mantion one example out of many) the case of Mr Joe Fenech Cponti who is both ther chairman of Roads Network Ltd, the government company that gives the green light for the installation of speed cameras and also the CEO of Datatrak Holdings, a private IT company that takes a cut from the fines collected by speed cameras.
Dr Austin Gatt had this to say about Mr Fenech Conti, ""A conflict of interest in and of itself does not preclude someone from serving in public office as long as that conflict is clearly declared and that the person having that conflict does not allow interests outside the public office he is appointed to function in the interests of that office."
Why is this not applicable to Dr Wenzu Mintoff?
Charles J. Buttigieg
Jan 24th 2010, 13:48
It’s OK for the Chairman of Air Malta to be a member of Gonzipn’s strategy group and for the Chairman of WSC to be politically active in the PN, but Wenzu has a conflict of interest. Dejjaqtuna,dardartuna, marradtuna,faqqartuna,nittintuna....... warbu warbu warbu.