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Karl Schembri
Government has refused to provide MaltaToday with a list of staff working for permanent representative Richard Cachia Caruana at the new Lm9 million Brussels embassy. Around 50 individuals are expected to be employed at the office block in Brussels and it is not known how much they will end up costing the tax payer.
Questions sent to the Office of the Prime Minister last week asking for the names of the staff chosen to work at Cachia Caruana’s luxury office in Schuman Square were met with the following ‘reply’ from the Department of Information: “It is regretted that in the circumstances, the amount of work involved to gather the information does not justify the request.”
Officers posted to the Representation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are posted on the same basis as officers posted to Malta’s other diplomatic missions, the DOI statement added.
“Officers posted to the Representation from other Ministries are selected either following an internal call for applications or, where such internal call is not successful, following an external call for applications. Both types of call are the responsibility of the Ministries concerned and are handled in line with Public Service Commission rules.”
However, it is believed that many of the staff members were handpicked by Cachia Caruana. Malta’s permanent representative Richard Cachia Caruana is two notches higher than Maltese ambassadors. DOI director Emanuel Abela has confirmed that although Cachia Caruana’s office “operates on the same lines as Malta’s other diplomatic missions around the world,” the unelected Cabinet minister is paid more than Lm2,000 more yearly than other ambassadors. In fact, while ambassadors enjoy a Scale 3 salary, receiving Lm11,329, the DOI said that Cachia Caruana is somehow receiving a Scale 1 salary at Lm13,431, apart from a “representation allowance” of Lm2,500.
“Like all other ambassadors, he uses an official car and makes use of a personal driver,” DOI said. “Apart from this, the permanent representative is provided with other ancillary secretarial facilities, a mobile phone and a computer.”
While the property just opposite the European Commission cost a staggering Lm6.5 million, Cachia Caruana’s stationery, furniture and computer equipment are expected to cost Maltese taxpayers Lm2.5 million. Sources told MaltaToday that Cachia Caruana is also keen on installing a highly sophisticated security and surveillance system which is expected to raise costs even more than announced so far.
MaltaToday has also learnt that the property earmarked by Cachia Caruana to house his office was previously eyed by the Latvian government for its new embassy. The Latvians however ended up buying a different building in a less central area because of the staggering costs.
Legal firm BCGL Advocates was chosen to represent government on this deal. The shareholders of BCGL Advocates are Dr Andrew Borg Cardona, Dr Peter Borg Costanzi and Dr Peter Caruana Galizia.
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