The University of Malta has defended its decision to choose Karl Cini to host the first in a series of podcasts about artificial intelligence.
Cini is a former partner at Nexia BT, the company that was at the centre of the Panama Papers scandal, and he is currently facing serious criminal charges, including money laundering and corruption.
He was employed by the university as a part-time Research Support Officer and recently completed a Master’s degree in Data Science.
The podcast, called The AI Lounge, is being produced by the Department of Artificial Intelligence, which forms part of the Faculty of Information and Communication Technology.
Cini himself announced on LinkedIn that he would be presenting the first episode.
Although Cini is qualified to speak on the subject, his selection as host of the first episode has sparked controversy because of the ongoing criminal case against him.
Cini acted as an intermediary in the opening of secret companies in Panama for former minister Konrad Mizzi and former chief of staff Keith Schembri. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.
In comments to the Times, the university defended its decision, saying that Cini is simply carrying out duties that fall within his job description. The university said he was employed as a Research Support Officer following a public call and that one of his responsibilities is to host a podcast on artificial intelligence.
It added that other Research Support Officers working on the same project will also be hosting future episodes. The university said that Cini has the necessary qualifications to carry out the duties required by the project and that he was selected together with four other individuals to take part in it.
