Bartolo makes no direct mention of ethics scandal as he speaks about resignation
Former Minister Clayton Bartolo made no mention of the Standards Commissioner report which found him guilty of breaching ethics in his first statement following his resignation, nor did he speak about what the Prime Minister has referred to as "new c
Former Minister Clayton Bartolo made no mention of the Standards Commissioner report which found him guilty of breaching ethics in his first statement following his resignation, nor did he speak about what the Prime Minister has referred to as "new circumstances" having emerged which reportedly prompted Bartolo's resignation on Tuesday morning.
The Prime Minister has said that the decision around Bartolo's resignation from his post as Tourism and Public Cleanliness Minister as well as his removal from the Labour Party parliamentary group were made in light of different circumstances emerging to those which followed the publication of the Standards Commissioner ethics breach report. Bartolo is set to continue serving as an independent MP, with Deputy Prime Minister Ian Borg reportedly taking over the Tourism Ministry.
The Standards Commissioner report found that Bartolo and Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri had abused their power when Bartolo's girlfriend at the time, now his wife, Amanda Muscat was given a consultancy job within the Ministry for Gozo which she had no qualifications for and did not do. In a meeting last Wednesday, the Standards Committee unanimously decided to adopt the conclusions of the Standards Commissioner's report which found that the two relevant Ministers had breached ethics.
In a statement posted on social media, Bartolo said that he has offered his resignation as Minister to Prime Minister Abela. He continued that when he was appointed to the cabinet, he had given his word that he would bear the political responsibility if he had given the opportunity for others to use him to attack the government's work.
Bartolo said that he is proud to leave behind a tourism sector that stands on solid foundations "thanks to the decisions we took in the hardest moments". He added that the tourism sector recovered ahead of time after it suffered due to the pandemic, and that "the results which will be achieved this year will be the best results of all time".
He said that the government invested heavily in the tourist product as well as in education in order to improve everything that Malta and Gozo are able to offer as a distinguished destination in the Mediterranean. He continued that at the same time, "We launched plans for important reforms in this vital sector of the economy... Reforms that are needed if we really want sustainability for this industry." He thanks the industry, stakeholders, and all tourist entities for the work they have done together with the government.
"Under my political direction during the last four years, our country has achieved excellent results in the field of films at an international level," Bartolo remarked. He continued that the film industry is one which can continue to grow and flourish in Malta, "and I believe that with good guidance, it can reach its full potential even locally." He also spoke of public cleanliness and said that a lot of work has been done so that the department is now equipped with the best equipment, and he thanked the dedicated people working in that field.
Bartolo concluded by thanking the Maltese and Gozitan people, and particularly referred to the people of the 12th and 8th districts "for always welcoming me into your homes... I will remain your voice in parliament".
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