John Dalli and his daughter, who acts as his personal assistant, are working on the reform of the Mater Dei Hospital on a voluntary basis.
“I must state that neither my daughter nor I are being remunerated for this work,” Mr Dalli told Times of Malta, reacting to criticism that he had engaged his daughter Louisa as his personal assistant for this role.
Asked whether this meant the former European Commissioner and his daughter would remain unpaid, there was no reply by the time of going to print but a Health Ministry spokesman confirmed Mr Dalli “has no contract”.
“Mr Dalli is a consultant to the Health Minister working on a voluntary basis. At the moment he is taking stock of the situation at Mater Dei Hospital. There are no obligations,” the spokesman said.
The former PN minister was appointed to head a reform body within the Mater Dei administration in June by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat.
John Dalli is taking stock of the situation at Mater Dei Hospital. There are no obligations
A month later it emerged that Mr Dalli had appointed his daughter as his personal assistant. However, Health Minister Godfrey Farrugia defended the move, saying advisers had a right to choose a person of trust for this position and, in this case, it happened to be his daughter.
He had also said that Mr Dalli was not being paid at the time, but added details of the contracts for both the Dallis would eventually be published.
Mr Dalli’s decision to involve his daughter in his new consultancy role drew criticism, particularly as it came in the wake of a controversy which saw Labour MP Marlene Farrugia step down as an unpaid consultant to her husband just days after her appointment became public.
Mr Dalli defended his daughter’s involvement in replies to Times of Malta by referring to instances where the sons and daughters of politicians had taken part in public tenders as well as public consultancies.
“I would like to point out the many instances where the children and relations of ministers, prime ministers and high officials were involved in public sector consultancies, tender awards and in representing companies dealing with government on the award of contracts.
“I do not remember you or your paper raising any questions. Do different rules apply for John Dalli’s children?”
Times of Malta asked for an example of a politician who had appointed a close relative to a post under his or her control, but no response was forthcoming.
Reforming the hospital was a challenge which Mr Dalli set himself when he was appointed Social Policy Minister in 2008, with responsibilities that included health.
In 2009, he pledged a “revolution” at the hospital to tackle the problem of operation waiting lists. He was appointed European Health Commissioner a year later.
Do different rules apply for Dalli’s children?
He was forced to resign that position last October after an investigation by the EU Anti Fraud Agency (OLAF) concluded that he was aware that a bribe was being asked for to alter European legislation in his portfolio and did nothing about it.
Both Mr Dalli and the man charged by police in Malta with asking for the money, his former canvasser Silvio Zammit, deny any wrongdoing, and no criminal charges are to be brought against the former commissioner.
Mr Dalli’s position as a consultant at Mater Dei was called into question after the International Herald Tribune last month revealed that he had travelled to the Bahamas, a well-known tax haven, several times in 2012 without the knowledge of the European Commission.
Mr Dalli defended the trip, saying he was offering voluntary consultancy to a group of Evangelical Christians who wanted to set up a multibillion dollar venture fund intended to help people in Africa.
After meeting with the Prime Minister after the International Herald Tribune’s report, Mr Dalli said there would be “no change” to his consultancy position.