Destiny Chukunyere’s manager, Howard Keith Debono, has questioned the motivation behind the “drama’ surrounding Malta’s exorbitant spend on the Eurovision song contest.

An investigation has been launched after claims that taxpayer funds were used to inflate Malta’s chances with bookmakers and that money was also used to pay social media influencers to improve Destiny’s standing abroad. Times of Malta reported today that €650,00 had been spent to promote Malta’s entry.

“What else is left to be questioned to this light-hearted TV show?”, Debono wrote in a Facebook post.

He said that whilst he agrees in principle that one should question the use of taxpayer money, “I strongly question the motivation behind all this drama, which honestly, if I were Destiny, I'll be saying to myself Jesus, do they have so little faith in me & our result & why we achieved it? Is there nothing to our credit?”

Debono said he is “equally eager” to know if taxpayer money has been used in this regard, “and if that is the case there is no question it is unacceptable.”

“However, if it's not the case, then a whole new level of shame will need to be addressed.”

He said that “ironically,” the same happened in 2016, when TVM had actually made a profit from the Eurovision.

“Shall we address all the events with taxpayer money? Then again we are never happy with anything so I'm not surprised either!”