A legal notice authorising for the first time ever the holding of wedding receptions at the historical Cittadella ditch in Gozo was published in the Government Gazette just 24 hours before the wedding of the daughter of a top civil servant.

On 14 June, Culture Minister Owen Bonnici published Legal Notice 135 of 2024, authorising the holding of weddings at the Cittadella ditch under the Cultural Heritage Act in what is being described as a blatant case of abuse and nepotism.

Until then, wedding receptions in the area were prohibited.

A day later, on 15 June, Larissa Dimech, now Attard, the daughter of Permanent Secretary Joyce Dimech, held her wedding reception at the Cittadella grounds.

Hundreds of friends, including Ministers Owen Bonnici, Anton Refalo and Byron Camilleri, attended the wedding.

Permanent Secretary Joyce Dimech with Minister Owen Bonnici.

While the legal notice seems to have been issued in a last-minute attempt to legalise the event, policy officials have told The Shift that holding the wedding a day after its publication was still a violation of the rules.

According to the legal notice published by Minister Bonnici, the Permanent Secretary’s daughter had to file an application with the Cultural Heritage Directorate at the Gozo Ministry at least four weeks before the event and pay €5,000 for the occasion.

The legal notice also stipulates that the directorate must have a written policy and a specific application form.

None of these were available on time for the wedding of Dimech’s daughter.

“It is obvious that Dimech abused her position. A wedding is planned many months, if not years, ahead, including its location. Dimech wanted to organise her daughter’s wedding at the Cittadella even though this was prohibited. The legal notice was issued a day before her daughter’s wedding as a face-saving measure,” a senior ministry official and colleague of Dimech told The Shift.

The Shift was also informed that Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri was not invited to the wedding and that his directorate did not issue the necessary authorisation on time. Still, the wedding went ahead.

Minister Owen Bonnici and Permanent Secretary Joyce Dimech did not reply to questions sent.

The Shift also asked Dimech for the government receipt showing the €5,000 fee to use the ditch for her daughter’s wedding had been paid. So far, Dimech has not presented the document.

Joyce Dimech has acquired quite a colourful history during the past ten years since her elevation to Permanent Secretary in 2013, a few days after the Labour Party was swept to power.

A Gozitan from Victoria, Dimech was made former Gozo Minister Anton Refalo’s first Permanent Secretary. She was later transferred to other ministries, mostly serving under Owen Bonnici.

Known for her rubber stamping of ministerial orders, Dimech was also involved in the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra scandal, when she was accused of looking the other way when reports of sexual abuse at the government agency landed on her desk.

Dimech also refrained from taking disciplinary action against the Chairman of the Arts Council, Albert Marshall, despite a blatant breach of his engagement contract.