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Budapest embassy spent just 21 months open
€700,000 spent on Budapest embassy that was closed in less than two years in 2005
1 February 2016, 7:31pm
Staff Reporter
Staff Reporter
1 min read
Malta’s embassy to Hungary in Budapest spent just 21 months open, incurring a total cost of €700,000.
Malta’s embassy to Hungary in Budapest spent just 21 months open, incurring a total cost of €700,000.
In a reply to a PQ by Labour MP Silvio Schembri, foreign minister George Vella said that the lack of study justifying the opening of the embassy was evident, with the embassy opening in October 2003 and closing in June 2005.
Expenses on the embassy included a capital spend of €89,000 of which €32,000 went towards the acquisition of a vehicle; and over €420,000 in recurrent spending over the 21 months.
The ambassador was Noel Buttigieg Scicluna, the former Nationalist MP and a regular political appointee on state company boards. His remuneration was €15,964 for 2003, then €64,099 in 2004 and €30,163 up until June 2005.
After 2008, Buttigieg Scicluna served on eight government boards of directors. A regular pundit on Net TV, he was part of the PN’s selection committee for electoral candidates.
