Clayton Bartolo cleared of ethics breach, but reprimanded over lack of transparency
The standards czar concluded that Clayton Bartolo had no role in approving ITS CEO Pierre Fenech’s free cruise trip, but stressed that had the former minister been more forthcoming in his replies, the inquiry could have been avoided altog
Former tourism minister Clayton Bartolo was cleared of an ethics breach when the head of the Institute of Tourism Studies (ITS) was permitted to go on a free cruise, but his failure to be transparent during the investigation was criticised, a report from the Standards Commissioner has found.
In a report published on Friday, the standards czar concluded that Bartolo had no role in approving ITS CEO Pierre Fenech’s participation in the trip, though concerns about potential conflicts of interest arose. Despite the approval coming from the ministry’s permanent secretary, the commissioner described Bartolo’s responses during the inquiry as unhelpful and overly curt.
The investigation stemmed from a complaint filed by Arnold Cassola in September last year following a report by The Shift News.
In 2023, ITS CEO Pierre Fenech, his wife, and a senior ITS manager participated in a five-day cruise from Ancona, Italy, organised by Viking Cruises. At the time, the company was negotiating a training partnership with ITS to place Maltese students on cruise liners.
Concerns emerged about the ethics of accepting a free trip from a company engaged in ongoing negotiations with ITS. However, Fenech maintained that the trip had been approved in advance by Tourism Ministry Permanent Secretary Anthony Gatt.
During the investigation, Gatt confirmed that he had authorised the trip, viewing it as appropriate and clarifying that Bartolo had no involvement in the decision. Gatt defended his position by explaining that ministers do not typically approve travel for such working visits.
Although Bartolo had been copied into emails regarding the trip, he did not intervene. Gatt described this as standard procedure, where ministers are informed but remain uninvolved unless exceptional circumstances arise.
The permanent secretary justified the trip as a professional opportunity rather than leisure. Gatt argued that the cruise functioned like an international expo, where participants held discussions and explored collaboration opportunities.
Gatt downplayed conflict-of-interest concerns, saying the negotiations were bilateral rather than competitive, as in the case of public tenders.
Despite these explanations, the Standards Commissioner remained unconvinced about the trip's overall value to ITS. The officials reportedly held only four meetings and no documented outcomes or details from the meetings were provided.
While the commissioner acknowledged the need for ITS to foster international partnerships, he criticised how quickly the permanent secretary dismissed potential conflicts of interest. He advised that officials should carefully consider such scenarios and ensure full transparency when justifying approvals of similar benefits.
The report confirmed that Bartolo did not approve the trip and bore no ethical wrongdoing. However, the commissioner expressed discontent with Bartolo’s handling of the investigation, particularly his lack of transparency and reluctance to provide detailed responses.
Bartolo argued that the decision rested with the civil service, which does not report directly to ministers. The commissioner rejected this defense, pointing out that ministers are ultimately responsible for the public service under their remit.
The report criticised Bartolo’s “dry” and insufficient replies, while the commissioner stressed that had Bartolo been more forthcoming, the inquiry could have been avoided altogether.
The case, according to the report, highlights the critical importance of transparency in public office, especially in situations involving potential conflicts of interest.
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