The misuse of public funds remains a contentious issue in Malta, with former Labour Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo at the center of a recent scandal involving a substantial taxpayer-funded payment to British television personality David Walliams. During a parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) session, Bartolo attempted to justify the €120,000 payment for Walliams’ brief appearance at the 2022 Malta Film Awards by drawing a parallel between the expenditure and medical costs for a specialist consultation. His statement, however, was met with sharp criticism from committee members and the public alike....

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