Carmelo Abela appointed Malta's new Home Affairs Minister

 NEWS     The Hon. Carmelo Abela, until yesterday the labour government’s spokesman and PL whip, was sworn in as the new Minister for Home Affairs and National Security by President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca in the presence of Prime Minister Joseph Muscat. Dr Muscat formally dismissed Home Affairs Minister Dr Emmanuel Mallia after he failed to submit his resignation as requested yesterday.

Minister Abela’s portfolio will be smaller than his predecessor’s, as responsibility for the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) has been given to Justice Minister Owen Bonnici, while the film industry has been placed under the responsibility of Tourism Minister Edward Zammit Lewis.
Yesterday, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat sought the then Home Affairs Minister Dr Emmanuel Mallia’s resignation following the publication of an inquiry report into the shooting incident in Gzira involving his driver. A Board of Inquiry found that although Dr Mallia was not part of an attempted cover-up, it had been his duty to ensure that an official statement about the incident was accurate, or that it was immediately corrected.
Dr Mallia’s dismissal means the third departure from the Muscat Cabinet in less than two years, with Godfrey Farrugia having been forced out from the Ministry of Health in a Cabinet reshuffle some months ago. Parliamentary Secretary Franco Mercieca also stepped down during that reshuffle.
Dr Mallia was elected to Parliament for the first time at the last general election in March 2013 after a brilliant career as a lawyer in the criminal court. Just last week he said in parliament that politics was not the be all and end all of his life, and he had opted for politics only to be able to bring about change and to serve. It is not known whether he will remain an MP.
Hon. Carmelo Abela was born on 10 February 1972. He holds a degree from the University of Malta in Labour Studies. He started his banking career with Mid-Med Bank Ltd and his political career when he was elected as a local councillor for the Zejtun Local Council between 1994 and 1996.
Mr Abela first contested general elections in 1996 and has been elected in every general election since then. He served as Deputy Speaker of the House between June 2003 and May 2010. In the past years he represented the Maltese Parliament in a number of conferences abroad, both as Member of Parliament and also in his role of Deputy Speaker. Until his latest appointment he served as Government Whip and spokesman in the current Legislature.  He is married to Melanie and they have two children.
[Sources: www.timesofmalta.com and www.independent.com.mt]