He highlighted the fact that Abela defended Muscat’s “phantom job” yet said he took action by firing her well before this scandal surfaced in public.

“If Robert Abela really believes that Amanda Muscat was doing her job as he said in the last few days, why did he fire her? Abela fired Muscat because he knows she was being paid to do nothing.”

Grech explained that Abela has an obligation to sack Bartolo and Camilleri and return the money that was “fraudulently stolen”.

However, Grech said, he hasn’t because he is part of “the evil pact” and therefore cannot take action against those involved in these “overindulgences”.

“Our country needs a new leadership, a leadership free from all ties so that decisions that are needed for the good of the Maltese and Gozitan people are taken,” he concluded.

Last week, Standards Commissioner Joseph Camilleri found that Bartolo promoted his then-girlfriend (now wife) from private secretary to policy consultant at his own ministry, on a €62,000 salary, despite her lack of specialised knowledge or qualifications.

She was later moved to a policy consultant at Camilleri’s Gozo Ministry with an even higher salary of €68,000 – even though she never stepped foot in it – but continued working as Bartolo’s private secretary. Her job there lasted eight months and her contract was terminated at the end of 2021.

Bartolo apologised and attributed his actions to the fact that “nobody is perfect”.

Defending her work as a consultant, Abela assured that Muscat sent out “loads of emails”, even though the Standards Commissioner found that her every day work was more administrative than consultative.

Featured image: Bernard Grech and Saviour Balzan on XTRA.

Do you think the Prime Minister is involved in an “evil pact” that stops him from taking necessary action against some of his cabinet members?