Mcast board was 'careless', not criminal

A police investigation has cleared the Mcast selection board - responsible for awarding contracts to private IT training providers - of wrongdoing but found that there were instances of "carelessness".

However, four individuals from two private ICT training providers which submitted offers for training will be charged with making false declarations to a public authority, the ministry said.

Reacting to the findings, the Education Ministry said yesterday: "It must still be ensured that such carelessness is not repeated."

Education Minister Dolores Cristina said instructions had been issued to Mcast to start its course immediately after the Appeals Board decision.

Meanwhile, the ministry and Mcast guaranteed that students would receive the same standard of instruction as other students that had started other courses.

Labour MP Evarist Bartolo, who had requested the police investigation, hit back soon after and said it was shameful that the ministry was protecting the selection board from the irregularities committed in the granting of ICT training contracts.

"Once the police conclude an investigation, the Attorney General's opinion is usually sought to determine whether to proceed with a court hearing for criminal negligence.

"It is not the first time that the police are held back from doing this because negligence is hard to prove due to a legal loophole," Mr Bartolo said.

The Labour MP insisted that nothing changes the fact that the selection board altered the results of its first report and then proceeded to destroy it.

"The board then recommended that the contract is granted to companies that did not meet the required criteria," Mr Bartolo said.