In a heated council meeting, Qala Councillor Karl Buttigieg raised serious concerns over what he described as a significant "conflict of interest" involving Mayor Paul Buttigieg.
The controversy centres on the Mayor's dual roles as both the head of the Qala Local Council and an employee of the Gozo Ministry’s Construction and Maintenance Unit (CMU), a position that requires him to carry out council-related work.
Councillor Buttigieg highlighted the problematic nature of this arrangement, which has seen the Mayor not only presiding over council meetings but also executing the very work discussed in these meetings as a CMU worker.
This is not the first time Mayor Paul Buttigieg’s dual roles have raised eyebrows.
In 2017, while already serving as Mayor, he was involved in an accident with council property, resulting in the injury of a fellow worker. The case, adjudicated by Magistrate Joseph Mifsud (case 3/2018), brought to light that the Mayor’s duties for the CMU, particularly in Qala and Hondoq, aligned closely with council work.
Testimony from Anton Debono, who oversees the CMU, confirmed that the Mayor’s tasks with the CMU overlapped with his responsibilities as the Mayor, exacerbating concerns about potential conflicts of interest.
While holding the position of Mayor, Buttigieg continued to work for the CMU, often performing maintenance duties within Qala. Photographs posted on his social media accounts further evidence his involvement in council-related work, despite his role as Mayor, where he is supposed to maintain an impartial oversight of such activities.
A particularly contentious point is the use of a council-owned truck. Despite being entitled to a car allowance as Mayor, Buttigieg has been driving this truck as part of his CMU responsibilities.
When questioned during the council meeting, Buttigieg confirmed that he uses the truck in his capacity as a CMU worker assigned to council projects, although he stated he would switch to using taxis for official mayoral duties and charge the expenses to the council.
Councillor Karl Buttigieg proposed seeking guidance from the Local Council Department on how to address the apparent conflict of interest. However, the council remained divided on the issue, with three PL councillors voting against the proposal, while Councillor Buttigieg and Councillor Valerie supported it.
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