Recent government decisions regarding the Malta Sports Council, including the fact that it has had four different chairmen since March, do not bode well and are of concern, Opposition MP Robert Cutajar said yesterday.

Addressing a news conference outside Kunsill Malti għall-Isport (KMS) headquarters in Cospicua, Mr Cutajar said the Parliamentary Secretary for Sport Stefan Buontempo had recently commissioned the Management Efficiency Unit to carry out a review of the body.

He asked whether this exercise, which will be completed by the end of the year, was being carried out by the person serving as the acting head of Dr Buontempo’s secretariat. Mr Cutajar said the Government was bound to clarify this matter, to quell any suspicions of a conflict of interest.

He also raised questions about a number of transfers from KMS employees to other government entities, saying that it would have made more sense to take such decisions once the operations review was in hand.

It was only offered to him after another Labour backbencher turned down the job

He also criticised the appointment of Luciano Busuttil as the new KMS chairman, questioning his credentials and saying the post was only offered to him after another Labour backbencher turned it down.

Asked about 13 former ministry officials who were transferred to KMS a few days before the last general election, Mr Cutajar said that such a procedure had become standard practice in case there was a change in government.

He added that none of them had been em-ployed with the Government in the run-up to the election.

Mr Cutajar also expressed his concern that around 100 sports organisations, including the Malta Olympic Committee, are yet to receive the financial grants from KMS. He said that 30 of these grants date back to last year.

He also criticised the current administration for cutting around €250,000 from this year’s sport budget, saying that this was in direct conflict with Labour’s pledge to promote sports tourism.