The Nationalist Party on Wednesday said that during a Public Accounts Committee hearing there was a confirmation that the Government allowed public funds to be squandered arbitrarily, without a plan and without accountability, by the Malta Film Commission.

This came as the National Audit Office began disclosing information about this scandal in the investigation currently taking place before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in Parliament, the PN said..

Following a request in August 2023 by Partit Nazzjonalista MPs Darren Carabott, Graham Bencini, and David Agius - members of the Permanent Committee on Public Accounts - along with Shadow Minister Julie Zahra, the Auditor General launched an investigation into the Film Commission, including the Malta Film Week and the Malta Film Awards. In November 2024, the report Evaluating the Role of the Malta Commission in Promoting the Maltese Film Industry was published. The report uncovered a number of shortcomings within the Malta Film Commission, particularly regarding the management of millions of euros in public funds.

During yesterday's PAC session, it became evident that there are serious deficiencies in governance, transparency, accountability, and even in financial documentation, which are essential to the functioning of the Malta Film Commission. So much so that, due to the lack of information that the Commission never provided to the Auditor General, the National Audit Office found it extremely difficult to obtain a clear picture of what was truly happening within the Commission's leadership - particularly regarding what transpired and how money was spent on the Malta Film Week and the Malta Film Awards.

It was explicitly stated that there was no clear understanding of the value for money that the Maltese public received from the expenditure incurred by the Film Commission, the PN said.

The Auditor General's Office made it clear that the Film Commission did not provide financial accounts or bank balances as requested. In fact, the Auditor General's request for the Commission to submit bank balances and statements was ignored for several months. This resulted in the Auditor General's Office being unable to determine the number of bank accounts held by the Film Commission or the actual expenditure of public funds and financial transactions made, including those related to various events linked to the Malta Film Week and the Malta Film Awards.

While it will continue its scrutiny in Parliament, the Partit Nazzjonalista reiterates that we cannot allow the Film Commissioner to continue operating as if everything is normal, acting with impunity under the blessing of Prime Minister Robert Abela, and squandering public funds to satisfy his own ego.

The film industry in our country has enormous potential to grow, invest in local talent and productions, and enhance its international reputation. However, the Government's current attitude is preventing this from happening, the PN said.