Standards Commissioner George Hyzler has told independent candidate Arnold Cassola that he cannot investigate the Naxxar mayor over an alleged conflict of interest since the law does not give him the power to investigate mayors and councillors.

Cassola requested the investigation after MaltaToday revealed a possible conflict of interest by Anne Marie Muscat Fenech. Together with the council, the mayor voted in favour of a mega development in Naxxar. The newspaper said Muscat Fenech Adami is a secretary in a company where the architect of the project is a shareholder. 

The mayor has refused to resign despite being asked to do so by Nationalist Party Leader Bernard Grech. The party has now launched an internal investigation.

Cassola asked Hyzler to investigate the mayor’s conflict of interest, saying she had “betrayed” the Naxxar residents with her vote.

He said her “arrogant” behaviour shows that the “pigsty” mentality is now spreading from Parliament to the local councils.

In reply, Hyzler said the Act on Standards in Public Life gives him the power to investigate MPs and persons of trust but not mayors and local councillors. For this reason, he cannot investigate this particular complaint. He noted, however, that an ongoing exercise being carried out in conjunction with the OECD includes a proposal to widen the Commissioner’s powers to investigate such public officials.

Cassola said in a statement sent to the media that this was a loophole that is leading to a legal void.