Almost two months after his sacking by Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne, Neville Gafà is still listed on an internal government server as working in his private secretariat.
The Times of Malta received a screenshot from the government’s online server, which gives details on all public employees, their designation, posts and contact details, showing Mr Gafà listed as still occupying the post of projects director at the office of the Deputy Prime Minister.
When confronted with this information, a spokeswoman for Mr Fearne vehemently denied Mr Gafà was still on their payroll.
“As stated on different occasions, Mr Neville Gafà is no longer employed with the Ministry for Health or with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister,” she insisted.
He is no longer employed with the Ministry
The Office of the Prime Minister is refusing to state in which department Mr Gafà is working. Information reaching Times of Malta indicates that he is still seen at the Office of the Prime Minister, usually at the office of Keith Schembri, the Prime Minister’s right hand man.
Read: Gafà doing 'voluntary' work at OPM
Mr Gafà has hit the headlines various times over recent years, particularly after allegations that he was involved in the issue of medical visas and because of his close contacts with Libyan officials. He has always denied any wrongdoing.
Following a stint working at the private secretariat of then Health Minister Konrad Mizzi, Mr Gafà, who served as a salesman until 2013, was made projects director at the Foundation for Medical Services, enjoying a financial package of almost €50,000. Investigations by this newspaper, however, showed that, in fact, he was working as a customer care officer at the Office of the Prime Minister.
Following his controversial trip to Libya late last year, when he met government ministers and was also spotted speaking to a militia leader, Mr Fearne instructed the Foundation for Medical Services to rescind his contract.
When asked about his meetings in Libya, Mr Gafà said that he was “on holiday” and that he just happened to meet the militia leader when he “bumped into him on the street”.
Prime Minister Joseph Muscat defended Mr Gafà, saying he did good work.