Standards Commissioner’s Report Contradicts Joseph Muscat’s Dubai Trip Comment
Standards Commissioner George Hyzler reported that Joseph Muscat did not breach the Code of Ethics for Ministers when he travelled to Dubai, after establishing that the costs of the visit were paid for by a third party – despite Muscat previously providing a different version of events.
This report contradicts comments that Muscat made to Times of Malta last January, wherein he said that his three-day Dubai holiday was paid out of his “personal private funds,” rather than by a third party.
The flight costs for this three-day holiday amounted to around €21,000.
“Dr Muscat requested the Commissioner not to put the details disclosed to him in the public domain,” Hyzler said.
“Since it appeared that the visit was private in nature, not related to official government business, and did not involve a breach of ethics, the Commissioner accepted Dr Muscat’s request to withhold publication of the details of the visit.”
The Standards Commissioner came to this conclusion after considering complaints from Timothy Alden, leader of Partit Demokratiku, and PN leader Adrian Delia.