Principal permanent secretary Mario Cutajar yesterday defended the new code of ethics for Cabinet members revealed by Times of Malta, and countered criticism that this was a watered-down version of the previous code.

In a press conference called to react to the revelations, Mr Cutajar said the new code was “identical” to the one that preceded it but “more realistic for today’s needs”.

Publishing the code and a new manual on Cabinet procedures, Mr Cutajar said it was not true ministers could now carry on with their private work or their professions.

“All we did was to make the code more realistic. Before [under the PN], members of Cabinet could still lecture part-time at university. Now we are making this clearer.”

Cabinet members could still lecture part-time. Now we are making this clearer

When it was put to him that the case of former parliamentary secretary Franco Mercieca was very different to giving a few lectures on a part-time basis at the university, Mr Cutajar disagreed, saying it was the same thing.

Following Labour’s election, The Sunday Times of Malta revealed that Mr Mercieca had continued to practise as an ophthalmologist, including performing a number of hours of surgery in private clinics every week.

When this fact emerged, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said he had granted Mr Mercieca a waiver from the code of ethics, which barred such a practice and neither contemplated a waiver.

A few months later, Mr Mercieca resigned as parliamentary secretary to pursue his private practice.

Asked whether under the new code it would be possible to occupy a Cabinet post while continuing to be active in one’s profession, Mr Cutajar confirmed this was the case.

“If it is in the national interest, then this is now possible.”

Asked who decided what was in the national interest, Mr Cutajar said it was the Prime Minister and his ministers who made the decision collectively.

The new code has also left out how and when ministerial declarations of assets should be presented.

The previous code had specified the need for members of Cabinet to declare their assets every year and also to declare the assets belonging to their spouses and underage children.

Mr Cutajar clarified that these parameters remained the same but have now been included in a seperate manual attached to the code.

“However, the manual is still part and parcel of the code,” he said.

When Times of Malta first requested a copy of the code of ethics this week, Mr Cutajar’s office immediately obliged and sent a copy.

However, there was no reference to the manual, nor was it among the documents attached.

Asked whether any Cabinet member had been given the right to carry on with private work in the national interest, he said ministers Owen Bonnici and Helena Dalli were allowed to continue lecturing at University.

Otherwise, no other minister or parliamentary secretary has been allowed to continue to practise as a lawyer, doctor or architect.

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