Anthony ‘Tony’ Debono, a veteran Labour government insider who was forced to withdraw threats and intimidation directed at Opposition MP Adrian Delia following a parliamentary privilege complaint, has quietly been recruited as a government consultant at the Economy Ministry, The Shift has learned.
Multiple sources close to the ministry confirmed that Debono, 78, was recently engaged as a consultant within the ministry headed by Economy Minister Silvio Schembri.
The recruitment came only weeks after Debono became embroiled in a national controversy when he admitted sending threatening messages to PN MP Adrian Delia after the latter questioned Debono’s partner, Roseanne Camilleri, during a parliamentary committee hearing on her nomination as Malta’s non-resident ambassador to Liechtenstein.
Following Delia’s complaint, Speaker Anġlu Farrugia ruled that the threats amounted to a prima facie breach of parliamentary privilege and referred the case to Parliament’s Privileges Committee. Debono subsequently withdrew his remarks and apologised.
Yet, despite the unprecedented controversy surrounding his conduct towards a sitting Member of Parliament, Debono has now found himself on the government payroll.
The Shift is informed that Debono’s recruitment was pushed by Economy Ministry Permanent Secretary Godwin Mifsud, who insisted on bringing him into the ministry as a consultant.
It remains unclear what role Debono has been assigned, what expertise he is expected to provide, the duration of his engagement, or how much taxpayers are paying for his services.
Debono’s appointment has featured in many controversies over the years.
Last April, PN MP Adrian Delia had reported Debono to the Speaker after receiving WhatsApp messages that the Opposition MP described as threatening and intimidating. The messages were sent after Delia questioned Debono’s partner, Roseanne Camilleri, during her parliamentary scrutiny hearing.
The threateing message (redacted) sent to Adrian Delia
The Speaker subsequently ruled that the conduct warranted investigation by Parliament’s Privileges Committee, describing such intimidation of an MP as unacceptable in a democratic society.
A few weeks later, The Shift also revealed that Debono had been identified in court filings as the source of secretly recorded conversations that were subsequently leaked as part of a campaign targeting a senior public official.
Government sources told The Shift that Debono enjoys close ties with Prime Minister Robert Abela while also maintaining longstanding contacts with influential figures within the Nationalist Party.
His partner, Rosanne Camilleri, who was found responsible for a massive case of mismanagement of public funds at the Health Ministry, is still the CEO of Mount Carmel Hospital.
