Lou Bondi is seen behind Joseph Muscat at a recent cultural activity.

The Office of the Prime Minister has repeatedly refused to reveal the details of a contract it awarded former TV presenter Lou Bondi to act as one of its consultants.

Questions sent to the OPM since March have been stonewalled despite 12 reminders sent to the Prime Minister’s communications office in recent weeks.

Yesterday the government’s head of communications Kurt Farrugia said simply: “Lou Bondi is engaged as a consultant on work connected with the National Celebrations Foundation. It is not normal practice to publish the terms of engagement.”

Speaking during a Labour activity in Naxxar last week, Joseph Muscat mentioned Mr Bondi by name as an example of Labour’s meritocracy in order to fend off criticism from the Nationalist Party over a raft of public appointments and consultancy jobs handed to Labour officials and MPs.

I can categorically deny that Lou Bondi is paid the amount you cite in your question

Dismissing these claims, Dr Muscat said that the government had given a job to Mr Bondi in spite of internal criticism. Asked, following the Prime Minister’s public statement, whether it was true Mr Bondi was being paid close to €70,000 a year for his consultancy work at the Office of the Prime Minister, Mr Farrugia replied: “I can categorically deny that Lou Bondi is paid the amount you cite in your question. In fact your information is wrong and the amount is less.”

Mr Bondi – a former PN employee – also refused to reveal details about his government job. Contacted yesterday, Mr Bondi said that he only replies to questions if sent by e-mail; however, he failed to respond to written questions and instead told The Sunday Times of Malta to ask the Prime Minister for details.

Until yesterday, the only official information which emerged on Mr Bondi’s government job was through the publication of a list of contracts awarded by the Office of the Prime Minister last year, as obliged by law. Louis (Lou) Bondi is listed as the recipient of a contract of service as a consultant with the National Celebrations Foundation within the Office of the Prime Minister.

Mr Bondi – who made his name as a TV presenter on PBS – has been repeatedly accused by the PL of bias in favour of Nationalist governments. Former PL leader Alfred Sant had formally boycotted Mr Bondi’s television programmes between 1998 and 2003.

However, Mr Bondi’s engagement with the Office of the Prime Minister soon after Dr Muscat’s election raised the ire of many hardcore Labourites including the party’s head of delegation at the European Parliament, Joseph Cuschieri.

The MEP publicly condemned the appointment calling it “shameful” and “an open challenge” to people of goodwill.

On Facebook, Mr Cuschieri wrote that Mr Bondi’s appointment showed that “this is not Malta Tagħna Lkoll” and that in the meantime “thousands of Labourites await justice over injustices committed by Lou Bondi’s government”.