Former Times Of Malta Director Loses New Job After Junior Minister Accuses Him Of Misappropriating Funds
Parliamentary secretary for financial services Clayton Bartolo has dismissed former Times of Malta managing director Adrian Hillman from a consultancy job, appearing to accuse him of misappropriating funds.
“I’ve learned that Adrian Hillman has been taking payments intended for a private company through consultancies from the Malta Gaming Authority,” Bartolo tweeted. “I’ve ordered this contract to be terminated immediately as a show of zero tolerance to potentially damaging behaviour to such a crucial industry.”
I’ve learned that Adrian Hillman has been taking payments intended for a private company through consultancies from @MaltaGamingAuth. I’ve ordered this contract to be terminated immediately as a show of zero tolerance to potentially damaging behavior to such a crucial industry
— Clayton Bartolo (@BartoloClayton) January 23, 2020
Hillman was granted a consultancy role at the Malta Gaming Authority in 2017 for “strategic communication services, reputation management and public relations”.
Earlier that same year, his name cropped up in the Panama Papers scandal after Daphne Caruana Galizia wrote that he had secretly received some €650,000 from the former Prime Minister’s former chief of staff Keith Schembri. This was later corroborated by a leaked FIAU report, which said a reasonable suspicion of money laundering exists.
A magisterial inquiry into the allegation is still ongoing.