The president of the General Workers Union, Victor Carachi, is on the government’s payroll as a consultant to a State entity falling under the Ministry for the Economy, The Sunday Times of Malta has learnt.

Even as he leads the island’s largest union in defending workers’ rights against employers, including the government, Mr Carachi is receiving more than €1,000 a month as a consultant to Mimcol, the agency responsible for government investments.

It is not yet known how long Mr Carachi has been providing consultancy to the government and what advice is he getting paid €12,500 a year for.

Read: Former junior minister lands yet another consultancy job

Mr Carachi, a former bank employee who has been GWU president since 2008, is considered to be a moderate voice in the union.

He s considered to be a moderate voice in the union

He is not the only consultant on Mimcol’s payroll. According to information submitted in Parliament recently, former Labour foreign minister Alex Sceberras Trigona – who is one of Prime Minister Joseph Muscat’s special envoys with a financial package of over €55,000 – is also a legal consultant to the State agency. This role is earning Dr Sceberras Trigona another €8,400 per annum.

Mimcol is also receiving legal advice from Nadine Lia, who already occupies the role of a consultant with Economy Minister Chris Cardona. Dr Lia receives nearly €36,000 a year for her services to Mimcol.

At the same time, Sciberras and Lia Advocates is also engaged on a retainer by Mimcol and paid €20,000 annually. This is a law firm originally set up by former Labour MP and retired Judge Philip Sciberras and the Prime Minister’s personal legal consultant Pawlu Lia, the father-in-law of Nadine Lia.

Read: Robert Abela made €580,000 in consultancy fees - PN

As the Economy Ministry’s legal counsel in a dispute with the Data Protection Commissioner over the publication of contracts related to Dr Cardona’s advisors, Nadine Lia is insisting that the contracts are “private and confidential” and should not be published.

The Times of Malta had asked for a copy of these contracts, which include those related to Mario Azzopardi, a canvasser of Dr Cardona and his former chief of staff, Nadine Lia, who provides “ad hoc legal assignments as assigned by Minister Cardona”, Mario Borg Sillato, Alexander Farrugia and Joseph Sammut.

The ministry is refusing to publish the contracts.

 

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