New Auditor General and deputy sworn in

President Eddie Fenech Adami yesterday presided over the swearing-in ceremony of Anthony C. Mifsud as the new Auditor General and Charles Deguara as his deputy.

The ceremony took place at the President's Palace in Valletta.

Mr Mifsud, who since 2004 was permanent secretary at the Resources and Infrastructure Ministry, succeeds former auditor Joe Galea who had been in office since July 1997.

Mr Galea was the first-ever Auditor General in the country's Constitutional history. He served for the first term of five years and then served another term before remaining in office for another year as government and opposition failed to agree on his successor.

The Auditor General is appointed by the President following a resolution supported by at least two-thirds of the House of Representatives.

Mr Deguara was previously the permanent secretary at the Justice and Home Affairs Ministry. His appointment starts from November 3 so that the terms of the two officers do not end at the same time.

Both were nominated by Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi and seconded by Opposition Leader Charles Mangion and were both present at yesterday's ceremony.

President Fenech Adami said he was glad that the government and opposition had managed to agree on the appointments. He said he knew the two appointees, adding that he was convinced that the MPs had made a good choice.

Speaking to the media following the ceremony, Mr Mifsud said his priority in office will be that of concluding the various pending reports of investigations conducted by the National Audit Office. He said he will be shadowed by the outgoing Auditor General for a few months in order to be given a proper handover.

A civil servant since the early 1960s, Mr Mifsud started his career as an executive officer at the Treasury before being appointed higher executive officer in 1969. In 1987 he was appointed to a post within the Office of the Prime Minister, later on becoming the first director of the Staff Development Organisation at OPM.

In 1997, Mr Mifsud was appointed director general for the Office of the Prime Minister and later became the permanent secretary at the Resources and Infrastructure Ministry.

Mr Deguara joined the public service as a clerk at the Water Works Department and held several other posts before being appointed permanent secretary at the Justice and Home Affairs Ministry in 2004.