Phyllis Muscat to replace Norman Hamilton as high commissioner in London and ambassador to Ireland

Cosmetics importer and wholesaler Phyllis Muscat, a close friend of the prime minister and his chief of staff Keith Schembri, and who travels with the former on holiday and regularly hosts both to lunch, supper and summer days out on her boat, has been telling friends that she will replace Norman Hamilton, Malta’s high commissioner in London and ambassador to Ireland, when his three-year tour of duty is up next year.

Hamilton, who worked for the Labour Party’s television and radio stations for 21 years, turns 75 in April, but he is by no means the oldest member of Joseph Muscat’s gerontocracy. He will be replaced because Phyllis Muscat, whose 28-year-old daughter Michela lives in London, wants the job.

Mrs Muscat was put on the state payroll soon after her close friend Joseph Muscat became prime minister. He appointed her head of the organising committee for this month’s Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. Mrs Muscat used the contacts she made through this official role to find a job with the Commonwealth Business Council for her daughter in London. I am informed that her daughter is paid through Malta government funds channelled to the Commonwealth Business Council as “consultancy fees”. Mrs Muscat has refused to take my calls or answer my emails on this particular matter.

Her one foray into the media in her CHOGM role – an interview with The Sunday Times – proved to be an epic disaster. She was unable to answer the most basic questions, and at one point told her interviewer “Do I have to answer that?” Her communications consultant – Alessandra Pace, niece of Identity Malta chief Joe Vella Bonnici and another Taghna Lkoll appointee – was heard prompting her off camera: “Come on, we went through all this yesterday. You know the answer.” Miss Pace resigned her post shortly afterwards.

Phyllis Muscat is to replace Norman Hamilton as high commissioner in London and ambassador to Ireland.