Opposition whip David Agius has insisted that the PN’s proposal concerning the appointment of a Commissioner for Standards in public life should be implemented to set equal standards for both MPs and Ministers.
Mr Agius was asked to explain the difference between the two financial declarations – the one filed by MPs and the one filed by Ministers – mainly because the ministerial one is far more detailed than that filed by MPs only.
Explaining the difference, Mr Agius said that the code of ethics of ministers and that of MPs varies, hence the PN’s calls for a Commissioner for standards in Public Life. He said the form is different too.
For instance, Mr Agius said that the requirements of the financial declarations of MPs are different because MPs do not need to declare their salary of their profession while ministers are full-timers.
The ministerial declarations were meant to be filed by a March deadline but whether they are published or not and when is the prerogative of the Prime Minister.
Yesterday The Malta Independent published the declaration of assets of MPs. We reported that Gozo Minister Anton Refalo maintains a loan of €781,000, involving monthly payments of €2,250 but he did not divulge how much he earns as a minister, which he is not obliged to do in the declaration of assets as an MP.
Following our report, Dr Refalo sent this newsroom a copy of his ministerial financial declaration, which, he said, is more detailed than the one filed as an MP.
In his ministerial declaration filed on 12 February 2015 covering year 2014, he states that his government-related income totals €58,214 while his wife earns €20,095. Income from civil court cases he was asked to defend in the past when he served as a lawyer and which were concluded amounted to €7,400 while annual income as a result of a property he rents out is €13,500. He acquired €23,300 from the sale of an apartment (second part payment). He pays €2,250 monthly on a 781,200-euro loan from the above-mentioned income and not from the amount he earns as a minister only. He has a total 3,949 deposited in an HSBC account as well.
MP and criminal lawyer De Marco declares €24,716 savings in bank
Meanwhile, PN MP Mario de Marco, who is a criminal lawyer by profession, has four houses listed in the declaration of assets filed as an MP covering the year 2014. He has two other properties listed on his wife’s name which he also declared.
He has a total €24,716 savings in the bank, opposed to the €7,511 he declared the previous year. Dr de Marco is also a University lecturer and has a directorship in two companies.