Steve Ellul, a banker who failed to get elected to the European Parliament last month, has been handpicked by Prime Minister Robert Abela to lead Infrastructure Malta.

The appointment happened following revelations by The Shift earlier this week that CEO Ivan Falzon relinquished his post after disagreements with the new transport minister over the direction of the agency.

An unknown banker until a few months ago, Ellul was given a big push by Abela and Energy Minister Miriam Dalli to replace former rebel PL MEP Cyrus Engerer at the European Parliament.

Dalli made Ellul the first CEO of Project Green in attempt to boost his public image, but the previously unknown banker did not manage to complete a single large project despite a multi-million-euro budget.

Instead, he developed a reputation for spending tens of thousands of taxpayers’ money to boost his image among voters.

Ellul failed to gain the necessary votes to make it to Brussels despite Abela’s endorsement. He was outstripped by a lesser-known Gozitan candidate, Thomas Bugeja, who only decided to contest the election two months before the polls.

Ellul’s appointment to head the agency has not been received well, as he is considered as not having the necessary experience, skills, or capabilities to lead such a complex organisation.

“Ellul will be completely lost here, and Infrastructure Malta will continue to sink further,” senior officials said. “We need an experienced manager with experience in the field, not a novice more interested in getting one lucrative government position after another.”

Infrastructure Malta’s never-ending delays in completing projects have created a nationwide traffic management disaster.

During his time as CEO, Falzon tried to end a culture of conflicts of interest where architects, top managers and officials frequently moonlight for the same private contractors they are supposed to be supervising.

He introduced a code of conduct that required all employees to declare their interests, but its implementation left much to be desired. Stories of blatant conflicts and possible corruption continued to be reported, and no apparent disciplinary measures were taken against the culprits.

Minister Bonett’s insistence on removing Falzon is being interpreted by government officials as an attempt to shift the blame in the face of ongoing criticism.