The Gozo Court has declined a request by Gozo Channel to stop a judicial application by Gozo Channel senior master Mario Grech contesting the company’s decision to suspend him from employment.

Capt. Grech had been asked not to report for work after claiming major safety flaws revolving around life-saving equipment, emergency training, lack of qualifications of the boatswain and the presence of the potentially-deadly Legionella bacteria in the water supply of three ferries.

In his judgement, Magistrate Anthony Ellul argued that he could not declare Captain Grech’s application null as requested by the company on the premise that Gozo Channel was a company and not a public entity.

He noted that even though Gozo Channel was a company and not a corporation set up by law, it was still subject to the law of public administration.

Magistrate Ellul said that although no evidence was produced about whether the Finance Ministry had agreed with Gozo Channel’s decision to suspend Capt Grech on full pay, the court understood that this decision had been approved by the minister, so much so that Capt. Grech was still suspended on full pay, to this day.

Senior master Grech had sent a complaint to the Prime MInister that he was being punished and suffering an injustice. He also said that a person was promoted to captain without an internal call for applications and without an interview.

The court noted that the Prime Minister replied to Capt. Grech and informed him that Gozo Channel fell under the remit of the Finance Minister so he should pass on his complaints to the responsible minister, which Capt. Grech did.

So the court ordered that the case is continued.