Education Minister Justyne Caruana breached COVID-19 regulations to go watch her boyfriend, Daniel Bogdanovic, play professional football in December 2020, just as Malta was dealing with a major spike in cases and deaths. 

In her testimony to Standards Commissioner George Hyzler, Caruana admitted that she went to watch the match in December 2020. At the time, all citizens were prohibited from attending football matches, one of many measures restricting the movement of people in the country, which included group limits, mandatory face masks, and the closure of bars. 

Still, Caruana somehow went to watch the game, involving Bogdanovic’s Ghajnsielem. However, she denied any allegations that she forced herself into the match. 

No response was given on breaching the regulations themselves. 

Caruana insisted that she had never seen a football match before and had only attended on the advice of Johnny Camilleri, the Head of Secretariat, who told her that she was in need of a break. At the time, Caruana said, her father had just had a biopsy in hospital. 

“If you told me who was playing, I wouldn’t be able to tell you,” she said in her testimony. 

Fans were able to return to stadiums in August 2021, almost eight months after Caruana was granted the special privilege. Unlike the Education Minister, many Maltese people have felt the harsh sting of the law for failing to follow COVID-19 regulations.

Caruana is currently in hot water for providing Bogdanovic with a cushy 15,000 direct order for three months of work he never actually conducted. The Standards Commissioner has described Caruana’s actions as an “abuse of power” and has recommended police investigation. 

The Education Minister denied any claims that she was dating Bogdanovic, even though images exist of Caruana making a late-night visit to the footballer. She confirmed that they have been friends for a long time. 

Caruana remains a Cabinet member with Prime Minister Robert Abela refusing to take action. 

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