Labour MP Charles Mangion has joined fellow backbenchers as a paid government adviser.

Dr Mangion, elected to Parliament in a casual election following the resignation of Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca when she was nominated President, has been receiving almost €2,000 a month since August 2014 over and above his €21,000 annual parliamentary honorarium.

Dr Mangion, a popular notary, was appointed chairman of Enemalta soon after Labour returned to power in the 2013 election, which he had unsuccessfully contested. He resigned in April last year when the casual election was held and he made it to Parliament.

Charles Mangion is now on government’s advisers’ list. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

Three months later, he was appointed adviser to the Ministry of Finance on financial services matters.

He was also appointed chairman of the Financial Services Working Group and an adviser.

This newspaper had repeatedly asked the Ministry of Finance to say whether Dr Mangion was hired as a consultant, but no replies were forthcoming. However, when Labour MP Luciano Busuttil asked in the House whether there were any MPs on his ministry’s payroll, Finance Minister Edward Scicluna said Dr Mangion was earning €18,000 a year, payable every four weeks, apart from an annual transport allowance of €4,658.

Many Labour backbenchers are receiving payments from the government over and above their parliamentary remuneration

“Free telephone, mobile and internet are also included, provided such benefits are not already included within parliamentary remuneration,” the minister said.

The minister said Dr Mangion submitted a VAT receipt for every payment received.

Many Labour backbenchers are receiving payments from the government over and above their parliamentary remuneration for part-time work.

Dr Busuttil himself is earning an extra €14,000 a year as chairman of the Malta Sports Council and another €10,000 as chairman of the EU Affairs Parliamentary Committee.

Dr Mangion’s nephew, Labour MP Silvio Schembri, had been appointed consultant to Economy Minister Chris Cardona soon after the election on a remuneration package of nearly €40,000.

Former Labour Cabinet minister Charles Buhagiar, now a backbencher, was appointed chairman of the Building Industry Consultancy Council on a salary of €30,000 a year.

The only Labour MPs not known to be receiving some kind of government remuneration except for the parliamentary honorarium are Etienne Grech, newly elected Joe Farrugia and former ministers Godfrey Farrugia and Manuel Mallia.

The Times of Malta has estimated that Labour backbenchers will be receiving over €1 million in payments over and above their parliamentary honoraria throughout this legislature.