Tax-funded adverts extolling ministers breached ethics rules - commissioner

Ministers who between them spent €16,700 on taxpayer-funded adverts praising themselves in a 32-page supplement in the Labour Party’s newspaper Kullhadd had breached the ministerial code of ethics, Standards Commissioner George Hyzler has concluded.

An investigation found that 28 pages were taken up by government adverts extolling the achievements of ministries and their entities, in breach of the Standards Commissioner’s guidelines on advertising.

The Parliamentary Standards Committee met on Monday and decided to publish the report in its entirety. The matter will be discussed on Thursday afternoon when Hyzler is expected to appear before the committee to explain his report.

The investigation was requested by NGO Repubblika. 

Hyzler's probe found that 18 ministers and parliamentary secretaries, a former minister, and a former parliamentary secretary violated the ministerial code of ethics through the taxpayer-funded advertisements they published in the newspaper supplement last January 16.

The supplement marked two years since Robert Abela was appointed prime minister.

Some of the adverts were full page, costing  €700, or double-page spreads, costing €1,100. The Senior Citizens...