PR article reveals presidential extravaganza

A company PR piece appearing in a local newspaper, in which the Office of the President was “thanked” for its “continuous support”, has inadvertently lifted the lid on expenses incurred by the Office of the President.

What may have seemed a run-of-the-mill public relations exercise by luxury furnishing fabric supplies firm camilleriparismode, is in fact coming back to ‘haunt’ the Office of the President, that has reportedly paid out thousands of euros for curtains and upholstery on the renovation of what has been renamed the ‘Sir Anthony Mamo Room’ at San Anton Palace, the President’s official residence.

The expense – so far not disclosed – is said to have put a strain on the annual budget allocated for the Office of the President, with many suggesting that the Office will not make it financially until the end of the year.

More than just providing a hint into the expenses incurred by the Office of the President in refurbishing what was once called the ‘Blue Room’ inside San Anton, the PR article by camilleriparismode – which celebrated its 120th anniversary with a courtesy call by the directors and management on President George Abela – in fact explained in detail the extent of the extravagance involved in the refurbishment.

The PR suggests that the vibrant hues from the Giuseppe Cali paintings of the apostles “were the inspiration for the design and colours of the jacquard used for the curtains.

“Woven in Italy specifically for this room, the pattern, with its floral motif, was extracted from camilleriparismode’s historic archives. With the use of primary colours and detailed gold thread, the hand sewn curtains beautifully complement the paintings.

“The custom-made sofas, the reupholstered armchairs and occasional furniture add comfort and functionality to the room,” the firm said.

But it added more: “two main Louis XV armchairs in the Sir Anthony Mamo Room were reupholstered in a richly embroidered fabric with a pattern of peacock feathers, adding an original touch to the traditional décor of the room.”

The company PR was published in last Sunday’s The Malta Independent, accompanied by a photograph of President Abela with the directors and management of camilleriparismode.

That same day, MaltaToday reported governmental sources explaining how the finance ministry has ‘advised’ the Office of the President to be cautious on its expenditure and administrative procedures.

For 2010, government voted just over €2 million for the Office of the President. However, the finance ministry has since cautioned that this amount “may not cover” the Office until the end of the year.

This paper also revealed how a beleaguered production company belonging to President George Abela’s press secretary, found its salvation by being ‘absorbed’ into the Office of the President, with its directors now in the formal employ of the Malta Community Chest Fund.

Image 2000, that produced TV series ‘Santa Monika’ and ‘Fenomeni’ has since last September become the Audio Visual Department of the Office of the President, with its directors Fabian Mizzi and Noel Pace salaried by the Malta Community Chest Fund.

Marika Mizzi – who is registered as secretary to the company – is salaried as President George Abela’s office as his chief communications officer.

The audio visual equipment belonging to Image 2000 has since been transferred to San Anton Palace where an Audio Visual Department has been set up, in an ‘apparent’ bid to cut costs for the Community Chest Fund when producing videos and other promotional material for campaigns such as Istrina.

Furthermore, contrary to the custom of former Presidents engaging experienced civil servants to their secretariats, the current President has chosen to contract from outside the Civil Service, with the unforeseen consequence that the Office’s wage bill increased by an estimated 20%.

Matters relating to administrative irregularities are reported to have led to the recent resignation of Olaph Terribile as secretary to the Presidency, after a fall-out with other senior aides in the Palace over alleged mismanagement.

This story appeared in MaltaToday's Wednesday edition