The government and opposition have agreed to publish a Standards Commissioner report into a contract Education Minister Justyne Caruana handed out to her partner, Daniel Bogdanovic, through direct order.

However, Speaker Anglu Farrugia, who chairs the parliamentary committee for standards, declared that certain information related to third parties and personal details will not be made public.

This includes details like relationship issues that Caruana faced. The opposition is in favour of its inclusion while the government is against it. The debate is ongoing.

In his report, Standards Commissioner George Hyzler said that Caruana “used her discretion in a way that constitutes abuse of power, and broke with the ministerial code of ethics, by giving preferential treatment to Daniel Bogdanovic.”

Caruana had granted Bogdanovic, a former footballer, a three-month contract worth €15,000 to visit government schools and draft recommendations on how to improve the national sports school’s ability to produce elite athletes.

Bogdanovic was an elite athlete in his own right, playing for the likes of Barnsley, Sheffield United and Blackpool in his prime. However, his contract with the Education Ministry raised eyebrows given his lack of pedagogical qualifications and his personal relationship with the Minister.

Bogdanovic did not even author said recommendations, with the report actually being done by one of Caruana’s consultants, Paul Debattista.

Caruana has been silent on calls for her to resign, despite Hyzler recommending a criminal investigation. Prime Minister Robert Abela is yet to comment.

Should Caruana step down?