Education Minister Evarist Bartolo on Monday testified in criminal proceedings against his former canvasser Edward Caruana, insisting he could not assume the role of prosecutor, judge and jury.
"I didn’t want to jump to conclusions on the basis of prejudice,” Mr Bartolo said.
The case goes back to 2016, when according to the claims, Mr Caruana was asking for bribes in relation to various government work contracts on the building of new schools and maintenance works.
In his dossier to the police, former CEO Philip Rizzo had claimed that the minister’s canvasser used to falsify invoices while the FTS passed on to him cheques for more than €8 million in payments to contractors, which Mr Caruana insisted on delivering by hand.
When testifying on Monday, Mr Bartolo said that during Mr Rizzo’s time as CEO, Mr Caruana would sometimes complain about the way things were done.
“I would say that we need to make sure we follow procedure, that we are not untouchables,” said the minister.
Mr Rizzo would also voice suspicions about Mr Caruana, the minister continued. “I would say be just. Bring proof. But all he would say is ‘I have a hunch.’”
Asked what he had done when he heard that Mr Caruana wanted to pay Gozitan contractors directly and that there were allegations of false invoices, Mr Bartolo replied, “When he alleged that there were falsified signatures, I said we must carry out an investigation and pass it on to the police.”
Asked to verify the veracity of documents shown in court, the minister recalled that the CEO had been in a hurry to pay invoices, while he had been urging that due process was to be followed.
The witness made reference to one email wherein he had directed the foundation to cease using Mr Caruana but to also allow due process to take place.
Cross-examined by defence lawyer Stefano Filletti, about what led to Mr Rizzo’s departure from FTS, the minister explained how on October 23, 2016 he had received a message from Mr Rizzo, complaining that the foundation's chairman was “exceeding all boundaries” by changing office cleaning times.
Mr Rizzo had insisted that the minister was to remove the chairman or else he himself would not go to work.
“I told him that he ought to tell the Prime Minister himself,” Mr Bartolo recalled.
Mr Rizzo then went on long sick leave.
Following the minister’s testimony, the prosecution declared that it had no further evidence to produce.
The case continues in March.
Inspector Rennie Stivala prosecuted.
Lawyer Stefano Filletti and Stephen Tonna Lowell are defence counsel.