Predictably Simon Mercieca responded to my article where among other things I said he works for Yorgen Fenech.
I also said in that article that Simon Mercieca denies working for Yorgen Fenech. He denies it again, this time in an article headlined “If Manuel Delia is convinced that Yorgen Fenech pays me, he can always ask the Tax Department or FIAU to investigate me.”
His logic, such as it is, is amplified in the text of his post: “In my tax return, I declare that my work earnings come solely from my job at the university. Therefore, if it is true that I am earning money through other means, I am guilty of tax evasion and money laundering.” His words, not mine.
The awkward thing is that Simon Mercieca operates simonmercieca.com, a blog that carries advertising. If he is publishing adverts for free, then of course he’s doing no wrong. If he’s charging money for the adverts, then he is, by his judgment, “earning money through other means,” and since he is failing to declare it in his tax returns, he is, by his own explicit admission, “guilty of tax evasion and money laundering.”
I think Simon Mercieca publishes advertising for no money on his blog as much as I think he advocates for Yorgen Fenech for no money.
Simon Mercieca does not need me to report him to the tax man. Given his post of today he might as well hand himself in.