Pellegrini ‘unofficially’ chief of staff inside Dalli’s ministry

Former Union Print manager Ronnie Pellegrini has refused to confirm what his role inside civil liberties minister Helena Dalli’s secretariat is, after protestations from the Office of the Prime Minister were raised over his employment.

MaltaToday understands that staff at Helena Dalli’s ministry are under the impression that Pellegrini is her chief of staff, and as such is carrying out that role assisting her.

But Helena Dalli has denied having taken on the former acolyte of Labour minister Lorry Sant, as chief of staff, and instead said he is occupying a position inside her secretariat.

Pellegrini’s name was even listed as ‘chief of staff’ in a website update, before the name was removed soon after it became apparent that Dalli had employed the former GWU employee.

Asked point blank what his role is, Pellegrini yesterday told MaltaToday: “I work in the secretariat,” refusing to state exactly his position.

He had nothing to say when it was put to him that the OPM had requested his position as chief of staff to be removed from the ministry’s website.

There is no official chief of staff listed on Dalli’s ministry website.

Soon after Labour’s election to power, the PN took the government to task for appointing Pellegrini as a director of the Malta Freeport Corporation.

It complained that the appointment flew in the face of promises that appointments would be made on the basis of merit.