Updated 9.50am; 1.50pm with PL statement
A banner placed by the Nationalist Party across a block of buildings in Rabat belonging to Edward Caruana, put a smile on the faces of many this morning.
The banner, reading “Mit-taxxi tagħna lkoll. Awguri Varist” was taken down about an hour after it appeared.
The Times of Malta originally though the banner was put up by an individual but a spokesman for the PN clarified that it was the party which had put it up.
Edward Caruana is Education Minister Evarist Bartolo’s person of trust, who is currently under police investigation for fraud and corruption.
In a reply to a parliamentary question by Nationalist MP George Pullicino, the minister said that Mr Caruana was identified by the government-appointed FTS board as suitable to be employed as ‘head of summer projects’.
Mr Caruana was recruited through a contract signed by former chairman Samuel Formosa following a direct recommendation by Mr Bartolo.
In a damning resignation letter a few weeks ago, former FTS CEO Philip Rizzo accused Mr Bartolo of trying for months to dissuade him from reporting abuses of fraud and corruption involving his canvasser.
On his part, Mr Bartolo has insisted he acted immediately when he got to know about the allegations. Later, he admitted that he knew of the allegations some few months earlier but waited for “a smoking gun”.
PL statement
In a statement, the Labour Party said that the case was being investigated and the minister had reported it to three different institutions including the police.
Contary to what Simon Busuttil did when he was faced with serious accusations of corruption from Gozitan contractors, Mr Bartolo took the required action.
This government, the PL said, always took the necessary action to safeguard the public interest.
If taxes were worrying the Opposition leader, the PL said, he should read the Auditor General's report on the confusion there was under the previous government regarding buildings which belonged to the people.
He should also say what he would be doing about this.