The people were appointed as part of the restructuring of the Public Broadcasting Services (PBS) and the MLP believes the choices made do not augur well for the company’s success.

The fact that the people with qualifications were not hired goes against the idea of meritocracy that the government holds in such high esteem, the MLP said. The party said this is indicative of political patronage.

Labour MP Helena Dalli, who issued the statement, gave the example of an employee who was hurriedly interviewed in his hospital bed while recovering from a back operation.

She questioned the interviewer’s knowledge of broadcasting and why the employees were chosen simply on the basis

of an interview, without their

curriculum vitae being taken into consideration.

“Why have the experienced people in a particular sector not been chosen and applications within that sector been reissued?” Ms Dalli said.

The Labour MP deplored the way employees were chosen and demanded this injustice be remedied. She said the process was not transparent. This does not encourage the Maltese people to have faith in this institution.