Transport Malta dished out a massive 350 direct orders, worth a total of €13.6 million, in the first six months of 2021, data published in the Government Gazette shows.

Amongst those were some familiar names, particularly in those who received direct orders for “legal services” or “judicial fees.”

Adreana Zammit, the daughter of one of Ian Borg’s top advisers, has already been in the news for receiving a €62,400 contract to serve as a junior lawyer within Borg’s minister – months before she had even graduated and before she received her warrant to practice as a lawyer.

Records show that by the end of 2020, just one year after graduating, Zammit was paid at least €108,542 in direct orders for her legal services.

In the past six months, Zammit was able to add a further €26,366 to her tally of money received through direct orders – with this one also coming from Transport Malta.

Another law firm of interest which appears to have received a direct order from Transport Malta is Novolegal, which received €8,872 from the authority for “legal services” on 25 March this year.

The firm is run by Beverly Tonna, who is the daughter of Brian Tonna.  Brian Tonna, of Nexia BT and Panama Papers fame, was charged with money laundering along with former OPM chief of staff Keith Schembri juts six days prior to his daughter being granted this direct order.

Chris Cilia is another lawyer who finds himself on the Government Gazette, having also received no fewer than five direct orders from Transport Malta for his legal services. He received a total of €32,612 in direct orders from the authority.

Cilia was a candidate for the Labour Party in the 2013 general election, when he failed to get elected.  He was placed on the board of the Malta Gaming Authority in 2013, before getting a promotion to become the authority’s deputy chairman in 2017.

PL backbencher Silvio Grixti was on the receiving end of a direct order worth €37,200 from Transport Malta.