Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi is “still gathering information” about his visits abroad, which was sought through questions tabled in Parliament since 2014.
The minister told Nationalist MP Claudette Buttigieg last week the information she had originally requested in 2014 about his trips abroad is “still being compiled”.
About eight similar written questions were tabled since June 2017 asking for a list of trips made since he was first appointed minister in 2013 together with the names of those who accompanied him, the destinations, the scope of the visits, details about people with whom he met and the expense.
Cabinet colleagues regularly reply to such type of questions, political observers commented. Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, who frequently travels on official business, submitted regular information to Parliament, they noted.
The only travel information supplied by Dr Mizzi during this legislature was that he made eight overseas visits in 2017 and another 30 last year, spending about €2,600 per trip.
No further details were, however, given though they were requested in the written questions.
When former Opposition leader Simon Busuttil asked Dr Mizzi whether he recently visited either Panama or New Zealand, the minister replied with an unequivocal “no”.
Cabinet colleagues regularly reply to such type of questions
The Panama Paper had exposed Dr Mizzi as the only sitting government minister across the EU to have a secret company in Panama. The company formed part of another financial vehicle, a trust in New Zealand.
Dr Mizzi had later admitted he had not declared neither the company nor the trust with the Maltese tax authorities, in breach of Maltese law.
Despite intense pressure from various quarters to resign, including Cabinet colleague Evarist Bartolo and others, the Prime Minister still decided to retain him.
In a move evidently aimed at allaying public criticism about his inaction, Dr Muscat had stripped Dr Mizzi of his energy and health portfolios and the minister also had resigned from the post of deputy leader of the Labour Party.
Still, Dr Mizzi was retained as a minister within the office of the Prime Minister and continued to handle major energy projects.
Following the last general election, Dr Muscat appointed him Tourism Minister.