'500 to be charged' over marine licences

The police intend pressing charges against about 500 people in connection with a scandal in which Malta Maritime Authority (MMA) officers are suspected of taking bribes in return for issuing mariner licences, police sources said yesterday.

Investigators want to arraign the officials involved and all those suspected of having paid bribes to get their licence. The arraignments could take place in the coming days.

The licence is a basic certificate of competence which people driving a boat equipped with a motor exceeding 100 hp are obliged to obtain, normally after completing a three-week course.

Almost all of the suspects have been questioned by the police economic crimes unit over the past month.

Two officers from the MMA's Small Ships Licensing Section are alleged to have run a racket spanning the last four or five years.

The police are also investigating the involvement of middlemen. So far, the focus has centred on one man who was mentioned by the officials themselves. The police, however, suspect the involvement of more people, given the scale of the suspected bribery.

The case emerged from routine checks carried out by MMA auditors.

On May 24, the auditors informed the authority's CEO of a series of discrepancies in the issuing of licences. The case was passed on to the police.

When contacted, MMA chairman Marc Bonello said the authority would immediately withdraw the licences of those indicated by the police as having paid bribes.

"If they are arraigned, we will then wait for any court sanctions over and above the withdrawal of their licence and take it from there," he said.

Asked whether the case warranted a full-scale investigation into the authority's operations, Dr Bonello said the case was discovered precisely because of a routine internal audit which was aimed at targeting such malpractices.

"Contrary to what is being said by some, the case was not raised after allegations reached the authority from outside sources, but after internal auditors noticed discrepancies.

"This does not mean the authority would not act on information people would bring to our attention. The routine auditing is carried out precisely to ensure the transparent and efficient running of the authority.

"I am comforted by the fact that this is the first time the auditors have found such a case, even though that does not mean more random checks in future could not uncover problems in other areas."

The matter has spilled into the political arena after opposition MPs José Herrera and Joe Mizzi made a number of allegations in connection with the case. Both have raised allegations about malpractices at the MMA in the past. Mr Mizzi, in particular, claimed that the minister responsible for the authority is acquainted with the people being investigated.

Competitiveness Minister Censu Galea has asked the Commission for the Investigation of Corruption to investigate remarks by the MPs, pointing out that when pressed to substantiate their claims, neither Mr Mizzi nor Dr Herrera was prepared to do so.