11 And Counting: AG Asked To Investigate Multiple Roles Held By Young Lawyer Who Ran Robert Abela’s Legal Office
A fresh controversy over governance in Malta has emerged, this time surrounding a young lawyer closely linked to Prime Minister Robert Abela who reportedly holds 11 state-funded roles.
Independent candidate Arnold Cassola has formally requested the Auditor-General to probe the appointments of Ryan Pace, a 31-year-old lawyer, into multiple government positions. Cassola argued the appointments raise serious questions about transparency and meritocracy in public administration.
Pace, previously the legal officer for the prime minister, was recently awarded a €17,000-per-year legal consultancy role at Festivals Malta via direct order.
This position adds to his extensive roster of responsibilities, including chairmanship of the Malta Gaming Authority and directorships or advisory roles in various state entities such as ARMS Ltd, the Malta Tourism Authority, and the Malta Film Commission.
Pace’s full list of 10 jobs is as impressive as they get:
- Chairman, Malta Gaming Authority
- Director, ARMS Limited
- Director, Gozo Heliport Ltd
- Director, Malta Government Investments Ltd
- Director, Malta Investment Management Company Limited
- Director, Malta Film Commission
- Secretary, Engineering Resources Ltd
- Secretary, Mediterranean Offshore Bunkering Company Ltd
- Legal adviser, Malta Tourism Authority
- Legal Adviser, Aġenzija Support
Cassola’s letter to the Auditor-General specifically seeks clarity on whether these appointments followed public calls or were handed out without a competitive process. Additionally, he questioned the justification for assigning so many state-funded roles to one individual, especially someone with close professional ties to the prime minister.
“These positions could have been allocated to other qualified professionals to better reflect a fair and equitable approach to governance,” Cassola argued.
Scrutiny has also intensified over Pace’s private legal practice, particularly his representation of developer Paul Attard of GAP Ltd. Pace reportedly acted on behalf of Attard for a controversial Mellieħa Heights project involving the development of 109 apartments on land obtained from the Lands Authority. The permit was approved in under two months, sparking questions about possible preferential treatment.
Adding to the controversy, Prime Minister Abela recently instructed the Lands Authority to stop selling public land for speculative development, further complicating the narrative around the Mellieħa project.
Activists from the NGO Il-Kollettiv have described the situation as a potential conflict of interest, questioning whether Pace’s government-appointed roles conflict with his legal representation of private developers.
“Residents in Mellieħa are being misled,” said in its statement. “The government claims to oppose such speculative projects, yet one of the prime minister’s associates is directly involved in facilitating them.”
The NGO has called for Pace’s removal from his public roles, citing the need for accountability and independence in public administration.
Arguing that all of Pace’s government appointments were more evidence of the clear close ties between the prime minister and the developer, Il-Kollettiv even asked whether Abela had any specific interest in the green-lit Mellieħa project.
What do you make of these latest developments?
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