Alan Camilleri leaves ME post to accompany partner abroad

Malta Enterprise (ME) executive chairman Alan Camilleri today announced that he has asked the Finance Minister not to renew his contract because he will be accompanying his partner abroad for medical studies.

Camilleri was speaking at the €3.87 million Malta Enterprise building which was visited today by the President of Malta George Abela. During his address, Camilleri said he will be leaving hispost at ME in May "because I will be accompanying my partner for medical specialist training in Germany."

Last month, MaltaToday had revealed that Camilleri asked Finance Minister Tonio Fenech not to renew his contract which expires in mid-May, for "personal reasons."

President Abela thanked ME and told ME employees that Malta expected a lot from Malta Enterprise, adding that diplomatic relations "foster economic exchanges."

President Abela addressed the gathered ME employees together with Camilleri and finance minister Tonio Fenech. The ME employees and the members of the press were addressed in English by all speakers.

Fenech personally thanked Camilleri for his "excellent work" and said that he has left ME on "a sound footing."

Camilleri has had his fair share of criticism from the Opposition and other stakeholders on his performance as ME executive chairman.

He has also been the focus of much media attention since his controversial appointment at Malta Enterprise. He was a former public relations officer with the Prime Minister, responsible for the euro changeover, and for a short period CEO at the Dhalia group of companies.

Both him and his brother, The Times's correspondent in Brussels Ivan Camilleri, the Camilleris are renowned for their staunch Nationalist sympathies.

EU Commissioner John Dalli had said that Alan Camilleri was part of a "conspiracy" to oust him from Cabinet in 2004.

Camilleri also came under increased media scrutiny due to his lifestyle and more importantly, for his decision to increase service charge fees for those utilising ME industrial park space.

Lately, he was taken to task for his decision to issue direct orders amounting to hundreds of thousands of euros for the renovation of the temporary premises at the former Nurses quarters at the defunct St Luke's Hospital.

He also recently sued for libel MaltaToday after the newspaper reported that the new premises at the old hospital were used for a New Year's Eve party.

Meanwhile, Malcolm Miller was being touted as a possible replacement at the helm of ME. Miller, of the Miller Group of Companies and a major shareholder of Standard Publictaions, the publishers of The Malta Independent, refused to comment when asked whether he will be the new executive chairman at ME last month.