The National Commission for the Promotion of Equality is in talks with the national orchestra to implement internal policies, following a sexual harassment scandal that rocked the cultural sector, said Heritage Minister Owen Bonnici on Monday.

In reply to parliamentary questions by PN Graziella Attard Previ and PN MP Claudette Pace, the minister confirmed that given the state of urgency the national orchestra was given priority for such policies given the situation, but did not exclude the idea of the same policies being implemented in other institutions which fall within his ministry.

In October, a 31-year-old Gozitan man, whose name cannot be published by court order, was accused of harassing a young member of the orchestra, subjecting her to an unsolicited act of physical intimacy, to unwanted sexual behaviour and misuse of telecommunications equipment.

The orchestra's CEO Sigmund Mifsud was later charged with tampering with evidence after he allegedly instructed MPO employees to keep quiet on the scandal. 

On Monday, Bonnici confirmed that given the National orchestra case the NCPE will “assist in the best way to have dedicated policies”

Additionally the minister said that the government already has an anti-harassment policy, which was also made use of when the case itself first emerged.

Apart from a dedicated structured policy, the national orchestra employees will also be benefitting from specialised anti harassment training so that “no abuse is tolerated”.

“We want to strengthen the structures within the orchestra”, the minister said.