Momentum's Arnold Cassola has asked the Standards Commissioner to investigate Agriculture Minister Anton Refalo's use of public funds, following a news report that most of the food, cooking, and serving at an organisation's fundraising dinner in Żebbug, Gozo, was provided for free courtesy of the minister.

As part of the village feast of Santa Marija, the fireworks organisation in the locality organised its annual fundraising dinner mid-August. The Shift News reported that the Minister had used the services of the public abattoir to provide these services. It reported that all participants at this dinner paid €22 to attend this event and that proceeds went to the organisation to help cover costs involved in the fireworks. 

Cassola said he filed the complaint following the report alleging the Minister used public funds to provide free food for a private fundraising dinner. Cassola stated that using public money for a private event in a minister's own constituency could be a corrupt practice and must be investigated.

The Momentum Party's Chairperson contacted the Office of the Commissioner for Standards in Public Life to look into this case.

The organisers, L-Għaqda tan-Nar Marija Assunta, Żebbug, thanked Minister Refalo for funding the food and service "for free" the following day.

Writing to the Standard Commissioner's Office to investigate this matter, Cassola wrote that "While it may be a good thing if the Government sponsored traditional feasts, this should happen for every village and not just for the villages that are in the Minister's district."

"In the latter's case, this could be a corrupt practice," Cassola said.

Cassola added that "in normal democracies, it is not acceptable for a Minister to pay for the food of a private event held exclusively in his district using public funds."

It was reported that this fundraiser was attended by several other noteworthy politicians, including both PN leader candidates Adrian Delia and Alex Borg, as well as the Minister for Gozo and Planning, Clint Camilleri, who also derives from the same district of Gozo.