Raymond Camilleri, the Land Department director general who stepped down from his post citing “family health issues”, would not comment on investigations into dealings involving his department.
Contacted yesterday by the Times of Malta, Mr Camilleri repeatedly said he had no comment to make.
“I cannot tell you anything,” he replied.
He would not say either whether he had retired from the civil service or had asked for a transfer. “No comment is my reply”, he said.
Mr Camilleri has been serving at the department for 35 years. He was appointed director general in December 2013.
Mr Camilleri stepped down from his post of director general and ‘he will therefore be moved where required’
This newspaper is informed that Mr Camilleri was questioned as part of two ongoing and separate investigations into deals involving the department. These are being conducted by the National Audit Office and the OPM’s Internal Audit and Investigations Department.
The transactions under scrutiny include the deal with Marco Gaffarena, who sold half a property in Old Mint Street, Valletta, to the government for €1.65 million in land and cash and the department’s involvement in the possible expropriation of Palazzo Verdelin, in Valletta, in which Mr Gaffarena is also involved.
Earlier this year, the Land Department was also involved in the acquisition of Cafe Premier, for which the government paid €4.2 million.
Asked about Mr Camilleri’s resignation in view of his questioning and the pending investigations, the Internal Audit and Investigations Department replied that “such information cannot be divulged”.
Principal Permanent Secretary Mario Cutajar was asked whether it would have been more prudent on the part of the civil service not to accept Mr Camilleri’s resignation pending the outcome of the investigations.
He said Mr Camilleri had stepped down from his post of director general, adding that he “will therefore be moved where required”.
Mr Cutajar noted that the Internal Audit and Investigations Department was a fully independent body and, therefore, his office was not in a position to know who was interviewed.