An inquiry board set up last July to investigate allegations of “administrative and operational aspects” at the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology has been given a second extension, the Times of Malta is informed.
A spokeswoman for Education Minister Evarist Bartolo confirmed that the board of inquiry, chaired by financial adviser Paul Bonello, was now given until the end of March to submit its findings.
The board had been tasked with making its recommendations to the minister for possible further action by the end of September. Mr Bonello asked for more time and the deadline was extended to the end of 2018.
However, the board still required more time, sources close to Mcast told this newspaper.
Serious allegations of irregularities
“The inquiry, which started after a senior member of the Mcast staff made serious allegations of irregularities and which might also involve political figures, is proving to be complicated,” the sources said.
They said it seemed there are many instances where senior Mcast officials and politicians responsible for the college might have looked the other way when reports of ‘abuse’ reached them.
“It’s a very tricky inquiry,” the sources remarked.
In a short statement last July, the Education Ministry had said that allegations “of a criminal nature” made by a senior member of staff had been referred to the police.
Mr Bartolo had also announced he had appointed a board of inquiry to look into administrative and operational aspects raised in the allegations.
The Times of Malta had reported that the allegations of a criminal nature included claims of possible sexual abuse by members of the college staff in a programme for psychologically-challenged students. The programme, called Pathway, is the main focus of the allegations made.
Times of Malta is informed that the individuals mentioned in the allegations are still employed at Mcast because recommendations to suspend them by another independent inquiry to do so were, for some reason, not implemented.
The new investigation had started shortly after a change at the helm of the college.