PN accuses Gozo Minister of more squandering of public funds

Just weeks after the €70,000 phantom consultancy scandal involving Minister Clint Camilleri granting a contract to the wife of former Minister Clayton Bartolo, it has become evident that this was not an isolated incident but part of a repeated pattern of public fund mismanagement by Minister Clint Camilleri, the Nationalist Party said Wednesday.

A report by the Auditor General on the Government Accounts for 2023, published a few days ago, revealed that Minister Clint Camilleri spent €18.5 million on a single road project in Nadur, Gozo - over €10 million more than the original estimated budget of €8 million. This expenditure was incurred without any documentation showing where and how these extra funds were spent and without obtaining approval from the Ministry for Finance, the PN said.

The conclusions of the NAO's "Public Accounts 2023 Report" highlight not only a lack of planning and incompetence but also significant negligence and a lack of transparency in how Minister Clint Camilleri manages public funds.

Even in the 2025 Budget votes passed by Parliament last Monday, the Ministry for Gozo required an additional €13.4 million in supplementary expenditure beyond its approved budget for this year. Among this extra spending, it appears that the Ministry for Gozo paid €2.6 million more in allowances than the €1.8 million initially approved - exceeding the budget by over 250%.

Meanwhile, capital expenditure was reduced by €5 million, despite Gozo's infrastructure being in a dire state requiring urgent attention, the PN added.

It is clear that Minister Clint Camilleri not only acted irresponsibly with public funds in the consultancy case involving his colleague's wife but also cannot be trusted with public funds in any circumstance, the statement, signed by Alex Borg, spokesman for Gozo, and Mark Anthony Sammut, spokesman for transport, said.

Following the phantom job scandal within his ministry, another controversy has now emerged concerning Minister Camilleri's Ministry - the alleged bribery in the allocation of moorings for fishermen in Gozo's Mġarr Harbour. Although these moorings are supposed to be for fishing boats, they fall under the responsibility of his Ministry and are managed by the Gozo branch of Transport Malta, which coincidentally is led by Minister Camilleri's wife.

This reckless abuse of funds continues with the endorsement of Prime Minister Robert Abela, who has kept Minister Clint Camilleri in his post despite clear evidence of mismanagement and untrustworthiness with public funds, the PN said.

It is evident that Minister Clint Camilleri is not fit for purpose. The PN said its call for Camilleri's resignation. If the Minister for Gozo insists on not stepping down voluntarily, Robert Abela must remove him.