Prime Minister Robert Abela should assumes responsibility for the “chaos and wasting of the people’s money” in relation to the situation around Edward Scicluna, Repubblika said in a statement on Wednesday.
“If Edward Scicluna’s salary is needed for him to do nothing, then Robert Abela must pay it from his own salary,” the NGO remarked.
“Now that he has made this mistake and left us all crucified, it should be Robert Abela who assumes responsibility for this chaos and the wasting of the people’s money,” the NGO said.
Scicluna has been charged with criminal offences following the conclusion of a magisterial inquiry into the now rescinded hospitals deal, which had seen three public hospitals passed on to be administered by private companies. The government on Tuesday announced that Scicluna will step aside but will continue to receive his full salary.
Repubblika said that Abela has failed to maintain his promise to take action and has therefore not kept his word. “Edward Scicluma remains where he was, the Governor of the Central Bank, even though he is facing serious criminal accusations in Court,” Repubblika said.
It said that this situation is an episode which shows that those high up are rewarded weven when they do wrong, referring to how Scicluna is still retaining his €11,000 monthly salary while on suspension. “From now on he will not even have to work for his extraordinary pay.”
Repubblika said that Scicluna’s salary is more than seven times the national average and is being paid for by the Maltese people.
The NGO said that “contrary to what Robert Abela promised,” Scicluna has given himself a “long leave with a salary” and “will probably continue to enjoy this convenient reward of a salary for no work until the end of his term as Governor”.
“This behaviour is disgusting and reprehensible, and frankly an act of theft of public money which ironically is the crime that Edward Scicluna is already accused of in court,” Repubblika said, adding that Scicluna has no respect for the Maltese people. It remarked that Abela has neither the will nor the ability to prevent this “blatant theft”.
It said that the special laws for the Central Bank Governor are not an excuse, as no law removes the obligation for accountability to the public. It continued that if Abela thinks that he does not have the authority to fire Scicluna, then he must bear the responsibility for the consequences of his appointment.
Repubblika said that Abela knew when originally appointing him there was a magisterial inquiry involving criminal investigations of Scicluna, but still chose to go ahead with the decision.