Documents submitted to the European Union institutions by Malta’s Permanent Representative to the EU, Marlene Bonnici, must first be vetted by Cyrus Engerer, The Sunday Times of Malta has learnt.

According to his three-year contract, the convicted former Labour MEP candidate reports directly to Joseph Muscat, not to the Permanent Representative like other employees at Dar Malta in Brussels.

Cyrus Engerer, whose contract states that he is a special envoy of Prime Minister Joseph Muscat. Photo: Darrin Zammit Lupi

The contract, obtained by The Sunday Times of Malta, specifies that Mr Engerer is a “Special Envoy of the Prime Minister” and states that Mr Engerer is responsible for “ensuring that all the information to be sent to the EU institutions from the Permanent Representation is in line with government policy and in liaison with the Office of the Prime Minister”.

The contract also makes it clear that Mr Engerer “reports exclusively to the Prime Minister” and his appointment is “distinct from the duties and responsibilities of resident and non-resident ambassadors”.

Apart from Permanent Representative Marlene Bonnici, the top management of Dar Malta includes the Deputy Permanent Representative, Neil Kerr, and Malta’s Ambassador to Belgium, Ray Azzopardi.

Signed last February and backdated to October 6, 2014, the position created for Mr Engerer by Dr Muscat comes with a lucrative financial package and perks.

Mr Engerer, who last year received a two-year suspended sentence after being convicted of distributing compromising images of his ex-lover, is set to earn almost €300,000 over the three-year term.

His contract may be extended by a further three years upon the instructions of the Prime Minister.

Apart from receiving a combined monthly salary and non-taxable allowance of €7,600 (see table below), he has been put on the same scale as ambassadors and benefits from perks normally associated with this post.

These include a settling-in allowance, the reimbursement of most of his medical expenses, insurance and the right to travel in business class.

The government also pays Mr Engerer’s mobile phone bills, while the special envoy’s hospitality expenses will also be fully reimbursed once his receipts are presented to the Office of the Prime Minister.

Mr Engerer’s partner, Randolph Debattista, has also been given a position of trust at Dar Malta. He occupies the post of Head (Chef de Cabinet) of Ms Bonnici’s office.

Mr Debattista earns over €5,000 each month.

Soon after he was sentenced last year, Mr Engerer withdrew his candidature for the MEP elections on the Labour ticket and was then described by the Prime Minister as “a soldier of steel”.

Terms of Cyrus Engerer’s contract: