[WATCH] Adrian Delia justifies his MPs' 'recommendations' for Wasteserv jobs

Adrian Delia reacts to emails showing clientelistic practices in PN administration

Adrian Delia is insisting that an email cache published by MaltaToday last Sunday showing systematic efforts by various Nationalist Party MPs and candidates to get constituents on the Wasteserv payroll were "recommendations".

The Nationalist Party leader said this was different from the employment at Wasteserv of hundreds of people by the minister's direct intervention in the week before last year's general election.

The email cache covering the period between 2009 and 2013 shows more than just simple recommendations, with Wasteserv CEO at one point even complaining that he had no openings for people that were being suggested. At the centre of the emails was Ray Bezzina, who was then resources minister George Pullicino's head of secretariat and acted as the go-between.

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Bezzina was inundated by emails from PN politicians, including MPs Beppe Fenech Adami, Jason Azzopardi and Chris Said, suggesting names of people to be employed at Wasteserv. The minister's aide would then forward them to the waste agency and chase the CEO for feedback.

But Delia was unmoved by the revelation of a clientelistic system when asked on Wednesday morning after a courtesy visit at Saint James Capua Hospital in Sliema.

He insisted the documentation made public so far showed MPs making recommendations, adding in Fenech Adami's particular case the person he recommended was qualified for the job but had never been called in for the interview.

Delia said he was ready to sit down and discuss any system to stop abusive employment by the government of the day that amounted to corrupt practices.

Asked by a One News journalist whether he was aware of anyone related to him who was given a job at Wasteserv, Delia said he was not privvy to the information but insisted that if the law was broken, action should be taken against the person. 

The Opposition leader gave his comments after a courtesy call at Saint James Capua Hospital. Delia was given a tour of the hospital facilities by St James CEO Maria Bugeja.

The visit brought back memories for the PN leader, who recalled the five times he accompanied his wife to give birth to their children at the private facility.