Clint Camilleri MP (February 24, 1988) is a Maltese politician, architect and civil engineer, currently serving as Minister for Gozo in the Prime Minister Robert Abela's cabinet of 2020.[1][2] Among the youngest members of cabinet, Camilleri previously served as a Parliamentary Secretary and a Minister in former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat's cabinet. Prior to becoming a Member of Parliament and Minister, he was the Mayor of Qala in 2017.
Clint Camilleri | |
|---|---|
| Minister for Gozo | |
| Assumed office 20 January 2020 | |
| Preceded by | Justyne Caruana |
| Member of Parliament | |
| Assumed office 24 June 2017 | |
| Acting Minister for Rural Policy, Fisheries, Animal Rights and Consumer Protection | |
| In office 15 January 2020 – 19 January 2020 | |
| Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Rights | |
| In office 9 June 2017 – 15 January 2020 | |
| Mayor of Qala | |
| In office 2012–2017 | |
| Preceded by | Paul Buttigieg |
| Succeeded by | Paul Buttigieg |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 24 February 1988 Gozo, Malta |
| Spouse | Dr. Deborah Camilleri (née Mercieca) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | |
| Occupation |
|
Family and education
editClint Camilleri was born on 24 February 1988, to Anton Camilleri and Marlene née Gauci. Anton served on the Qala local council as a councillor and as Mayor, and was vice-president of the Gozo Football Association until his death in 2009. Anton's father Anġlu Camilleri was a Labour member of parliament from August 1971 until November 1981.[3] Anton and Anġlu Camilleri, originally from Nadur, were popularly known with the family nickname "Ta' Bedeqq".
Clint Camilleri graduated from the University of Malta in architecture and from the University of Kentucky in civil engineering.
Political career
editHe began his political career in 2012 elected as the mayor of the Qala Local Council and in 2014 contest in the European Parliament elections but lost. He contested in 2017 as member in the Parliament and won serving the 13th electoral district.[4]
Camilleri served as the Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Rights from 2017 to 2020 and was acting minister for four days.[5]
He succeeded Justyne Caruana, who had resigned due to a corruption scandal.[6][7] He is a serving member under the platform of Labour Party.[8]
Scandal
editAn investigation by Standards Commissioner Joseph Azzopardi found that Camilleri, together with fellow Minister Clayton Bartolo, breached the ministerial code of ethics through a consultancy contract they gave Amanda Muscat, at the time, Minister Bartolo’s girlfriend and personal secretary.
Commissioner Azzopardi found that following the start of the extramarital relationship between Minister Bartolo and Amanda Muscat in 2020 – then his private secretary – the latter was promoted to a much higher grade as policy consultant, a position for which she was not qualified for.
In further embarrassing conclusions, the Commissioner established that despite her supposed move to the Gozo ministry, Amanda Muscat never worked at Clint Camilleri’s Ministry and never wrote a single consultancy report for which she was supposedly engaged.
Instead, the Commissioner found that Muscat continued to work at Clayton Bartolo’s ministry as his private secretary but received her salary from the Gozo ministry.[9]
Bartolo and Camilleri, who are close allies of Prime Minister Robert Abela have refused to resign. Prime Minister Abela has also defended them and made it clear that he won't ask for their resignation.[10] Nevertheless, after a second scandal emerged where Bartolo's wife is alleged to have received a €50,000 kickback for a Malta Tourism Authority deal, Prime Minister Robert Abela forced Clayton Bartolo to resign on 26 November 2024. Furthermore, Abela forced Bartolo to resign from Labour’s parliamentary group and will now serve as an independent MP..[11][12]
Unlike Bartolo, Camilleri has so far retained his position.
Personal life
editClint Camilleri is married to Dr. Deborah Camilleri née Mercieca, a lawyer who is Gozo Manager for Transport Malta.[13] They married on 27 May 2018 and have 2 daughters.[14]
Camilleri is a hunter and a member of the hunter's association and lobby group Federation for Hunting & Conservation (FKNK, Maltese: Federazzjoni Kaċċaturi Nassaba Konservazzjonisti).[15]
References
edit- ^ "Clint Camilleri made Gozo Minister". www.maltachamber.org.mt. Retrieved 2020-11-28.
- ^ Attard, Charmaine (2020-01-20). "Clint Camilleri is new Gozo Minister". Newsbook. Retrieved 2020-11-28.
- ^ "Mr Anġlu Camilleri". Parlament Ta' Malta. Parliament of Malta. 7 January 2019. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
- ^ "The Hon. Clint Camilleri". mgoz.gov.mt. Retrieved 2020-11-28.
- ^ "camilleri clint". Parliament of Malta. 2017-07-06. Archived from the original on 2018-01-06. Retrieved 2020-11-28.
- ^ "Clint Camilleri named new Minister for Gozo". 89.7 Bay. 2020-01-20. Retrieved 2020-11-28.
- ^ "Clint Camilleri is new Gozo minister". MaltaToday.com.mt. Retrieved 2020-11-28.
- ^ "Clint Camilleri is Gozo Minister, Anton Refalo given agriculture and fisheries". Times of Malta. 20 January 2020. Retrieved 2020-11-28.
- ^ "Two ministers abused power by giving girlfriend lucrative job she didn't do". Times of Malta. 2024-11-07. Retrieved 2024-11-07.
- ^ "PN MPs: 'Stop lying about us to shift attention from pay scandal'". Times of Malta. 2024-11-19. Retrieved 2024-11-19.
- ^ "Clayton Bartolo resigns as Tourism Minister as second scandal emerges". Times of Malta. 2024-11-26. Retrieved 2024-11-26.
- ^ "Clayton Bartolo's wife suspected of receiving €50,000 kickback for MTA deal". Times of Malta. 2024-11-26. Retrieved 2024-11-26.
- ^ "Minister's wife continues her private practice while appointed manager at Transport Malta". The Shift. Tula Ltd. 12 April 2021. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
- ^ "MP Clint Camilleri and his wife Deborah welcome a bundle of joy". Our Wedding. Content House Group Ltd. 6 August 2019. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
- ^ Bonnici, Julian (24 July 2017). "My hunting background gives me unique insight into the issue – PS Clint Camilleri". The Malta Independent. Standard Publications Ltd. Retrieved 19 September 2022.