The former public relations officer of former education minister Dolores Cristina, Mario Schiavone, has categorically denied reports that his wife was paid €16,000 for work she did not carry out, saying that her role was different than that described in media reports.

In a report on last Sunday’s edition of It-Torca, it was reported that Mr Schiavone had appointed his wife Carmen to work in the same board of which he was chairman, a board tasked with regulating the student smart card system.  The article states that Mrs Schiavone, along with others, had the role of inspector – meaning she was tasked with conducting visits at businesses making use of the system to ensure that there is no abuse.  The inspectors were also in possession of a smart card. It states that an inquiry board report has concluded that Mrs Schiavone failed to carry out such visits between 2005 and 2011, and yet she was still paid.

However, in comments to The Malta Independent, Mr Schiavone denied all allegations, and claimed that his wife was not appointed to carry out such visits but rather to coordinate the work of other inspectors, adding that his wife worked from home.

Asked whether he believes there is a conflict of interest in the fact that his wife worked in the same department as him, Mr Schiavone said he does not. “What constitutes a conflict of interest? The wife of the Minister for Gozo works in his ministry, and the wife of the University’s rector is a lecturer in the same institute. Therefore I see no issue,” he said.

Asked whether it was him who appointed his wife to work for the ministry, Mr Schiavone denied the assertion. “My wife signed an agreement with the permanent secretary of education back in 2003, when Dolores Cristina was not yet minister for education,” he said.  At the time, Louis Galea held the role of minister and Paul Attard was permanent secretary.

The report on It-Torca extracts parts of the testimony of Mrs Schiavone to the board, stating that she was not in possession of a smart card, and she never carried out the work of an inspector.