'Ministry' told ADT not to sack convicted officials

Malta Transport Authority CEO Gianfranco Selvaggi, who resigned yesterday, has revealed that he was "told" by the Transport "Ministry" not to sack the two officers who were convicted last November of taking bribes in connection with driving tests.

Mr Selvaggi tendered his resignation to the minister in the afternoon but claimed that the bribery scandal had nothing to do with it.

When asked about the officers, he said he had been instructed by his "superiors" to suspend the two men on half pay pending their request for a presidential pardon.

He would not be drawn into saying which of his superiors had issued the order.

Earlier this week, a transport authority (ADT) spokesman said the two men could be reinstated if they are granted a presidential pardon, while the CEO said yesterday he had always insisted on the two officials being dismissed.

One of the officials involved, Roderick Galea, 30 was Transport Minister Jesmond Mugliett's canvasser.

Mr Galea and the other officer, Jason Buttigieg, 33 were found guilty of taking bribes for giving a pass mark to people taking the driving test.

They had been conditionally discharged for three years and banned from holding public office for life.

The case was part of a corruption scandal that involved several officials and at least one driving school.

Legal sources had told The Times that neither the conviction, nor the possibility of a presidential pardon should have any bearing on the ADT's decision to sack the two officials.

Nonetheless, the ADT had said when contacted that the two "could be reinstated" if the pardon was granted, in spite of Mr Selvaggi's misgivings.

"I was, and still am, opposed to the fact that they have not been sacked," he insisted yesterday.

"I certainly feel they should not be taken back under any circumstance, both for the benefit of the authority and in view of the message this could relay to other employees.

"Perhaps they can be reinstated elsewhere within the public service, doing something else but not at the ADT," he said.

When contacted originally on this matter, the ministry had defended the decision on the basis that the authority had acted in the same way in the past.

"In this context," the ministry had then said, "the ADT feels it should wait for the response to the officials' request before it takes its final decision."

An ADT official convicted of a bribery offence had been reinstated after being granted a presidential pardon.

Efforts yesterday to speak to Mr Mugliett proved futile as calls made by this reporter were not returned.

Asked about the reason for his resignation, Mr Selvaggi said: "I felt it was time to move on." He did not elaborate.

Sources close to the transport authority, however, said Mr Selvaggi has been considering tendering his resignation for some time because he felt "sandwiched between a rock and a hard place on a number of issues".

In a statement, the authority said that the board of directors had accepted the resignation.

Mr Selvaggi leaves his post a few months before his term expires in order to pursue an advancement in his career, the authority said.

Mr Selvaggi, according to the statement, said he felt it was a good time to move on and think of his career seeking fresh and interesting challenges.