The law firms belonging to former tourism minister Edward Zammit Lewis and lawyer Veronique Dalli have been awarded a contract to provide legal services to the National Development and Social Fund, and will be pocketing a minimum of €45,000 per year.

The NSDF is the fund that receives parts of the proceeds of the Individual Investor Programme – Malta’s controversial passports for sale scheme.

The letter of engagement was tabled in Parliament by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat in reply to a parliamentary question by former Opposition Leader Simon Busuttil.

Muscat said the firms began providing legal consultancy services to the NSDF following a public call for expressions of interest.  The legal firms have, to date been paid €2,700, Muscat said.

Muscat said the person mentioned in the PQ – presumably Zammit Lewis – has been given no other consultancy work by any entities falling under his portfolio.

According to the contract, the legal firms charge the NSDF €90 per hour (including VAT) for a minimum of two hours service per diem worked out over a five-day period. “Based on two hours per diem as per Expression of Interest Issued (and as per rate quoted by us), the minimum amount to be paid is circa €45,000 (VAT included) per annum,” the letter of engagement states.

The term of engagement is for one calendar year.

In September 2018 it was reported that the former tourism minister, who lost his Cabinet post after failing to make it to Parliament at the last general election, was getting paid €100 an hour for consultancy services at Identity Malta.

He was also engaged by Energy Minister Joe Mizzi on a six-month contract for €4,333 a month.

In December it was reported that Zammit Lewis was also being paid €2,118 a month for providing legal work to the Lands Authority, along with Luke Dalli, the son of Equality Minister Helena Dalli.