The role and responsibilities of a minister’s private secretariat carry significant expectations of integrity, transparency and public accountability. When an individual employed within such an office becomes linked to a criminal case, the continued engagement of that person naturally invites public interest and heightened scrutiny. In this context, the decision by Culture Minister Owen Bonnici to retain an employee who has admitted to a benefits-related offence has raised persistent questions, particularly in light of the sensitive nature of the private secretariat’s work and the broader political environment in which the matter has......

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