Clayton Bartolo And Amanda Muscat Hit With Asset Freeze In Corruption Investigation
Former minister Clayton Bartolo and his wife Amanda Muscat were hit with a temporary asset freeze as part of a corruption investigation, Times of Malta reported.
The probe is looking into suspected kickbacks received by Muscat for a Malta Tourism Authority contract given to Italian cyclist Valerio Agnoli. This scandal is what led to Bartolo’s decision to step down from his role as Tourism Minister.
Muscat received €50,000 from a Swiss company managed by Agnoli called A&O Opportunity.
The Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit (FIAU) flagged the payments as suspicious, prompting a police corruption investigation.
Following revelations by Times of Malta, NGO Repubblika urged the Attorney General and the Police Commissioner to take legal action. By December, a court-approved the AG’s request for an attachment order—an asset freeze typically imposed in money laundering cases to prevent funds or properties from being moved.
The attachment order applies not only to Bartolo and Muscat but also to Agnoli and his Swiss company.
Bartolo stated that he and his wife obligingly provided authorities with all relevant documentation to clarify the situation.
Agnoli was first engaged by the MTA in 2021 on an informal basis to promote cycling tourism. His contract was formalised in 2023 with an “all-inclusive remuneration” of €20,000 per year. His role involved coordinating cycling-related activities and advising the authority on international cycling matters.
In the same year, Muscat took on an “assignment” for A&O Opportunity, which allegedly involved assisting with cycling-related projects in Equatorial Guinea, Italy, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. The Tourism Ministry previously stated that her work had no connection to Malta or Agnoli’s role with the MTA.
Political Fallout
Following the revelations, Prime Minister Robert Abela made the call to remove Bartolo from his ministerial position and his seat as a Labour MP. Abela stated that stepping away from public office would allow Bartolo to better defend himself against the allegations.
The investigation remains ongoing.