A former top Planning Authority official who has been named chief executive officer at the Foundation for Tomorrow Schools is enjoying a far bigger remuneration package than his predecessor.
Raphael Axiak, a Gozitan architect who until recently was in charge of enforcement at the PA, succeeds Philip Rizzo, who resigned a few weeks ago after accusing Edward Caruana, a former senior FTS official, of fraud and corruption.
Sources at the Education Ministry told the Times of Malta Mr Axiak was given a financial package of over €90,000, about €20,000 more than that of Mr Rizzo. His appointment was made directly by the government.
Asked about Mr Axiak’s remuneration package, the Education Ministry did not reply.
The FTS announced Mr Axiak’s appointment through an official statement yesterday, saying it had 'endorsed' the appointment.
Colleagues described Mr Asciak as “a quiet official who has always done his job well in almost 20 years at the Planning Authority.”
The package is about €20,000 more than that of his predecessor.
Mr Asciak is the fourth CEO to be appointed at the government agency that is responsible for the building and maintenance of government schools.
In his resignation letter, Mr Rizzo claimed that Education Minister Evarist Bartolo had been aware of the corruption allegations for some time but that no action was taken.
Mr Caruana was given an indefinite contract with the FTS on the minister’s recommendation soon after Labour returned to power in 2013.
Mr Bartolo has admitted that Mr Caruana was one of his canvassers and that he gave him a positon of trust. However, in view of what happened, he had lost trust in Mr Caruana, the minister said.
Mr Bartolo has so far resisted calls to resign, saying he bore no political responsibility for the claimed irregularities.
The police and the Internal Audit and Investigations Department at the Office of the Prime Minister are sifting through hundreds of files taken from the FTS offices.
The investigation is intended to verify whether there exist any connections between invoices, suspected to have forged signatures, tender documents and a development in Victoria, Gozo, consisting of six apartments and a penthouse owned by Mr Caruana.