Account in Justice Minister’s name on Badoo dating site; reader receives his picture

A reader of this website, 30, was on the dating app Badoo last night when a familiar face was flashed up at her as an appropriate contact, signalling that he was right at that moment in the vicinity at 6km away (Badoo wasn’t made for the sense of distance of a tiny island).

It was Malta’s Justice Minister, Owen Bonnici. She took a screenshot on her phone, then found his Badoo profile and took some screenshots there, and this morning she sent them in. “Don’t you even think of dating that man,” I said sternly, seeing as how she’s my children’s age and I wouldn’t want my daughter anywhere near somebody like the Justice Minister.

This morning I tried to ring him to ask about this Badoo account, but his mobile phone was transferred to the Justice Ministry. An aide reminded me that it being Tuesday morning, he was in a cabinet meeting, and that’s why his mobile phone was transferred.

She suggested I ring back in the afternoon, which I did. The Justice Minister’s mobile phone was still transferred to the office and the same aide politely suggested I send in my questions by email as he wasn’t available.

So I did, hoping that my attempt at seeking answers on behalf of the public wouldn’t get lost amid a slew of ilmenti and requests for favours, given that he uses his official government email address for his constituency campaign.

Meanwhile, the reader who had had the Justice Minister suggested to her as a possible date last night emailed again, this time to point out, in my reply to my questions to her on the subject, that no, she doesn’t think it is fake or somebody impersonating him at all. “It is verified by his Facebook page and shows how many friends he has,” she wrote, “and unless he changed/removed the info himself, then it will just use the info he has on Facebook.”

Last August, this website reported that the Commissioner of Police, using his real name, age, town and photograph, but describing himself as an “administration clerk” is on another dating site, called Twoo.

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To: [email protected]
From: Daphne Caruana Galizia

Subject: Badoo account

Minister,

Please would you confirm (or otherwise) that the attached screenshots are from your Badoo account and are not an attempt at impersonating you.

If the account was indeed set up by you, please would you explain how you think it is appropriate for a cabinet minister to be on a dating app which sends his photograph and indicates his presence in the vicinity to women who are using the app.

Thank you.

Daphne Caruana Galizia

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