PN MP Joe Giglio has been found in breach of parliamentary ethics after failing to declare his interest in a tax law that later allowed two of his clients to avoid criminal prosecution.In a report dated 4th November, Standards Commissioner Joseph Azzopardi concluded that Giglio should have disclosed his professional connection to clients who stood to benefit from the legislation.The investigation followed a complaint filed by Matthew Caruana Galizia in April.At the time the bill was discussed in Parliament in August 2025, Giglio was representing Nigel and Mikaela Scerri, who were facing a €1.5 million tax evasion and money laundering case.The charges were subsequently dropped after the couple reached a settlement with tax authorities under the new legislation.The commissioner found that Giglio’s clients had received a direct and considerable benefit from the law, making his failure to declare an interest a breach of the MPs’ Code of Ethics.However, Giglio strongly disputed the interpretation, arguing that MPs should not have to declare an interest whenever legislation affects people they represent professionally.He also pointed out that he had actually voted against the bill, alongside other Opposition MPs.The commissioner acknowledged that this was a mitigating factor and classified the breach as not serious.He proposed closing the case if Giglio submitted a written apology and committed to respecting the rule in future.Giglio refused to apologise, maintaining that he disagreed with the commissioner’s conclusions.The report also stressed that Giglio could have declared his professional interest without revealing his clients’ identities or breaching legal confidentiality.The matter has now been referred to Parliament’s Standards Committee for further consideration.•