Muscat was hired by a company linked to Agnoli in mid-2023 around 18 months after her controversial job as a ministry consultant was terminated.

Agnoli was put on an all-inclusive remuneration of €20,000 per annum by the Tourism Authority in the same year.

Muscat’s work at the Agnoli-linked company ended toward the end of 2023. Investigators suspect the payments to Muscat could be a kickback for the MTA contract.

The Tourism Ministry maintains that there is no link between Muscat’s work and the MTA deal, however it confirmed that she was given work on an assignment basis by an international company linked to Agnoli.

According to the Ministry, Muscat assisted cycling -related international initiatives Equatorial Guinea, Italy, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

This assignment had nothing to do with Malta or the work being done by Agnoli for the MTA, a spokesperson said.

Agnoli was described as pivotal for Visit Malta’s strategy to penetrate the cycling world, namely the Giro D’Italia.

Bartolo was made to resign from his post as Tourism Minister and Labour MP earlier today after being sent questions by the Times of Malta about this scandal.

Abela said this would allow Bartolo to defend himself better.

Both Bartolo and Muscat have been under intense scrutiny these past few weeks after a Standard Commissioner’s report found that he was abusing his ministerial power by making her a ministry consultant.

Muscat had just a few A-levels under her belt and was his secretary at the time of this major promotion in 2020. The following year, she was transferred to Clint Camilleri’s Gozo Ministry where her annual salary shot up to €68,000.

If these allegations are true, Muscat would have made at least €118,000 between 2021 and December 2023.

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