Edward Scicluna has been officially removed from the Malta Financial Services Authority board of governors. The announcement was made in the government gazette on Friday, following Prime Minister Robert Abela’s statement the previous day that he intended to remove him. Despite Scicluna’s removal from the financial regulator’s board, he has not yet yielded to Abela’s pressure to resign as Central Bank Governor. On Thursday, he stated that the Central Bank has its “own rules.” Scicluna’s position came under scrutiny again after a court determined there was sufficient prima facie evidence of wrongdoing in the hospitals scandal for him to stand trial.
Kurt Farrugia to take Transport Malta top post
Kurt Farrugia, a former top aide to ex-Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, is set to become the new CEO of Transport Malta in the coming days. According to a report by The Times of Malta, Farrugia will step down from his current role as head of Malta Enterprise to take on this position, which became vacant when Mark Mallia was appointed as head of the government’s secretariat. Farrugia, who has been CEO of Malta Enterprise since 2019, was a key aide to Muscat before his appointment. He has also played a significant role in the Labour Party’s electoral campaigns in 2017, 2022, and last June’s European and local council elections. Transport Malta oversees sea, air, and land transportation. (Times of Malta)
100 apply for pardon on social benefits racket
Prime Minister Robert Abela stated that 100 people have applied for a presidential pardon related to the social benefits fraud orchestrated by former Labour MP Silvio Grixti. He clarified that the pardon is not available to those who facilitated or masterminded the fraud, but only to those who were convicted, currently facing court proceedings, or under investigation. The Prime Minister emphasized that most applicants were individuals who, although not eligible for the full benefits they received, still suffered from some form of illness. Abela did not confirm the number of people who have been granted this amnesty. (Maltatoday)
