Allied Newspapers will be making “sufficient resources available” and “cooperating fully” with an independent inquiry into allegations of wrongdoing by its managing director, the company said.
Acting managing director Michel Rizzo said Allied Newspapers – publisher of The Sunday Times of Malta, the Times of Malta, and timesofmalta.com – would proceed with an independent inquiry into the actions of Adrian Hillman but was not in a position to comment further.
Mr Hillman went on indefinite leave last Friday after journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia alleged on her blog that he had received secret payments for purchases by the Allied Group from Kasco, a company owned by the Prime Minister’s chief of staff, Keith Schembri.
She alleged the two men had concurrently opened overseas companies in a secretive jurisdiction and that the practice had been happening for years.
When contacted, Mr Hillman said: “I appreciate the question but I don’t feel it’s appropriate to comment at this point in time.”
Mr Schembri could not be reached for comment .
The editors at the Times of Malta expressed concern about the allegations against the company’s managing director, but reaffirmed that the editorial and commercial aspects of the company were distinct. In a statement yesterday, editors Steve Mallia, Ray Bugeja and Herman Grech said editorial decisions were never motivated by commercial decisions.
They said: “Editors enjoy full independence in their dayto-day decisions in respect of the newspaper. Never has a commercial consideration, let alone a political one, motivated an editorial decision.”
The editors added that as with any other organisation, they dialogued with the company’s management, including the managing director, but management never imposed editorial decisions.
“Those are the sole discretion of the editor.”
A meeting for employees will be held tomorrow, at which the directors are expected to explain the company’s position on the allegations.
The Allied Newspapers board issued a statement on Friday saying it would carry
out an independent inquiry into the allegations but insisted this was “a measure
of good governance” and it was in no way accepting the veracity of the allegations.
“Never has a commercial consideration motivated aneditorial decision
Asked yesterday who would lead the inquiry and whether it would have access to all company information, Mr Rizzo said further details would be given in due course.
Questions as to whether any particular contracts entered into by the company
and third parties would be investigated and what relation existed between Allied Newspapers and the Kasco Group, remained unanswered.
The Prime Minister’s chief of staff has also been implicated in a separate case that concerns the opening of a New Zealand trust and company in Panama at the same time he was in Azerbaijan on official government business.
Alternattiva Demokratika yesterday called on the Prime Minister to suspend his chief of staff.
AD chairman Arnold Cassola said Mr Schembri had access to all reserved information held by the State and given the latest allegations his position was
now a threat to national security and democracy.
“It would be totally irresponsible on the part of the Prime Minister if Keith
Schembri is not suspended immediately and kept away from all the State information in Castille,” Prof. Cassola said.
The Allied Group is made up of Allied Newspapers Ltd (publishers of Times of Malta and The Sunday Times of Malta), Progress Press Ltd (the printing press).