Former Labour MEP candidate Cyrus Engerer has been put on an ambassadorial salary grade like a government official in Brussels, earning a financial package of around €85,000 a year, Times of Malta has learnt.
His position – that of special envoy to the Prime Minister on EU matters – was specifically created for Mr Engerer. None of the other permanent representations in Brussels have a similar role within their structure.
The Office of the Prime Minister will not say whether Mr Engerer has been given a security clearance by the Maltese security services – an obligatory condition needed so that a public official can acquire EU accreditation, enter EU buildings and handle sensitive EU documents.
Mr Engerer has never accompanied the Prime Minister inside the building of the European Council
Times of Malta is informed that so far, Mr Engerer has never accompanied the Prime Minister inside the building of the European Council where summits are normally held.
According to sources, this indicates that Mr Engerer does not have the necessary EU accreditation due to his criminal record.
Last May, after being found guilty of a criminal offence related to distribution of pornography and given a two-year suspended sentence, Mr Engerer retracted his candidature for the MEP elections held later that same month.
Describing him as “a soldier of steel”, Prime Minister Muscat had immediately recruited him as his advisor on EU affairs and last October gave him a direct appointment in Brussels as his special envoy.
Replying to questions raised in Parliament by Nationalist deputy leader Beppe Fenech Adami, the Prime Minister has confirmed that Mr Engerer has been put on a government Scale 3 grade – the one pegged to an ambassador.
According to the salary structure for government overseas employees, apart from receiving a basic salary of €35,000, Mr Engerer is also entitled to some €50,000 in annual allowances pushing his financial package to some €85,000 a year.
It is not yet known whether, like all other ambassadors, Mr Engerer is also receiving other allowances such as free lodging and representation allowances.
In his reply, Dr Muscat said Mr Engerer’s role in Brussels is to coordinate with Permanent Representative Marlene Bonnici and her deputy Neil Kerr on issues related to the meetings of the European Council.
The European Council is normally held four times a year and is the main focus of all the work done at the Committee of Permanent Representatives level where Malta is represented by Ms Bonnici.
Until Mr Engerer was posted to Brussels, all work related to such councils were within the remit of the Permanent Representative.