The Internal Audit and Investigations Department would not say whether it stopped a quantity surveyor from investigating the Foundation for Tomorrow’s Schools because of a possible conflict of interest.
This newspaper sent the IAID a copy of an e-mail exchange between FTS chairman Emanuel Camilleri and the permanent secretary at the Education Ministry, Joseph Caruana.
This indicated that Mark Anthony Debono, a quantity surveyor at the Transport Ministry, was offered a job at the foundation during the course of the ongoing investigation, in which he was involved on behalf of the IAID.
In the e-mail, dated January 27, 2017, weeks after the start of investigations by both the IAID and the police into allegations of fraud and corruption at the FTS, Mr Camilleri informed Mr Caruana that Mr Debono would soon be seconded to the FTS as a procurement officer.
Mr Caruana, who happens to be the brother of the main suspect in the probe, Edward Caruana, acknowledged Mr Camilleri’s message and said he agreed with his stand. Asked whether Mr Debono’s assignment in connection with the FTS probe was withdrawn in view of the possible conflict of interest, the IAID said it could not divulge such information.
“Be advised that the information requested cannot be divulged in terms of the Internal Audit and Financial Investigations Act”, a spokesman said.
The Times of Malta had already signalled last February another conflict of interest involving Mr Debono.
The information requested cannot be divulged
It had reported that he was a former employee at the FTS and knew Edward Caruana very well as they used to work together on various government projects.
Opposition education spokesman George Pullicino has raised the matter in Parliament, asking the Prime Minister whether Mr Debono had a conflict of interest and whether the IAID had removed him from his role in the corruption probe.
The Prime Minister said that while he was informed by the IAID that the report carried by this newspaper was noted and was being investigated, he could not say whether any action was taken because he did not interfere in the work of the IAID.
The probe on claims of corruption were initiated by the police and the IAID in September 2016. Philip Rizzo, then CEO at the FTS, had accused Education Minister Evarist Bartolo of spending months trying to dissuade him from reporting Edward Caruana’s wrongdoing.
Mr Bartolo rejected the claims.
Later, the Times of Malta learnt that, as part of the investigations, the IAID commissioned Mr Debono to remeasure all the works carried by private contractors for the FTS in relation to claimed false invoices and works that were allegedly never carried out still paid for out of public funds.
This newspaper reported last week that a decision by Mr Bartolo following a memorandum drawn up by his permanent secretary to overrule an FTS board decision was also being looked into by the police and the IAID.
Documents show that after giving instruction to the FTS chairman to effect payment for disputed tiling works, as instructed by the minister, the permanent secretary had also copied confidential information to his brother. So far, the permanent secretary did not say why he felt the need to let his brother know about such data.
ivan.camilleri@timesofmalta.com