Robert Abela's government is once again sending the wrong message, and once again it comes in relation to the case of the death of Jean Paul Sofia.

Abela had already gotten himself into a public relations nightmare when he repeatedly denied growing calls for a public inquiry into the young man's death in a construction collapse in December 2022 - only to finally and eventually relent hours before thousands of protestors were set to gather outside his office to renew their demands.

Now, the Prime Minister and the government has again gotten itself into a Sofia-related mess.

In recent days it emerged that Kurt Buhagiar, one of the individuals facing a court case for involuntary homicide in relation to the death of Sofia, had been reinstated to his previous job in the government's Lands Authority.

Buhagiar was one of two developers of the construction site - which was leased from the government - where Sofia was killed.

In a post on the Ghal Jean Paul Facebook page, Sofia's mother Isabelle Bonnici said she was outraged that the accused had been reinstated within the Lands Authority, despite facing criminal charges over the fatal incident. She said that the accused should have remained suspended.

Robert Abela meanwhile said that Buhagiar was never dismissed from the Lands Authority and was instead temporarily suspended while still receiving his pay.

Abela said that Buhagiar has re-entered work in the same position he has held, and added that there was no recommendation or decision by the court stating that Buhagiar should not work. Abela said that if there is eventually a recommendation from the court even before the final sentence in the case is given dictating that Buhagiar should not work, then the government will adhere to the court's recommendation.

Abela said that if there were a declaration or sentencing of guilt, then the circumstances would be different. He continued that it is because there is no such declaration that the situation was that Buhagiar was still receiving his salary but not going to work. What changed now, he commented, is that Buhagiar is going to work and giving his services to the authority.

It may be the case that the court has yet to hand down a verdict and that, indeed, Buhagiar and his co-accused are all innocent until proven guilty - but it also does not send the right message for the government to be reinstating someone who is facing such serious charges.

The backdrop that this seems to have been done without the government minister responsible for lands knowing - precisely because it seems like he disagreed with it - also raises questions on transparency and accountability. 

Isabelle Bonnici is right to be outraged at the news of Buhagiar's reinstatement.  It sends the message that life can simply go on, even if you're accused of being involved in a situation where a young man's life was taken away from him.  The government must have a higher standard of accountability when it comes to situations like this.

This administration has time and time and again got its messaging and decisions wrong when it comes to the Jean Paul Sofia case, and this is yet another such instance.