BREAKING | Clayton Bartolo finally resigns as tourism minister

Updated at 13:00

Three weeks ago, a standards commissioner report concluded that Bartolo abused his ministerial power by giving his wife a top-paid consultancy job she did not do.

Times of Malta reported that Bartolo spoke to Prime Minister Robert Abela on Monday evening and again on Tuesday morning before handing in his resignation.

It also reported that Abela, who previously said he saw no reason for Bartolo to resign, changed his mind due to a separate scandal involving Bartolo and his wife.

Hours later, the Times published the new allegations: The FIAU reportedly flagged to the police that Bartolo’s wife, Amanda Muscat, is suspected of receiving a €50,000 kickback for a Malta Tourism Authority contract.

Lawyer and former PN minister Jason Azzopardi said earlier on Tuesday morning that Bartolo was at Castille and would “resign in the coming hours”.

Robert Abela told the media that Clayton Bartolo was made to resign and would no longer be allowed to represent the Labour Party in Parliament.

Foreign Affairs Minister Ian Borg will take Bartolo’s place as Tourism Minister.

Bartolo will continue to ‘serve’ in parliament as an independent MP – unless he makes the only right decision and stays away from politics for life.

Opposition leader Bernard Grech described Abela’s move as “another U-turn” after “weeks of defending fraud”.

Grech said that the prime minister must also “immediately remove” Gozo minister Clint Camilleri “who is guilty of fraud and a cover-up”.