The Ombudsman’s pending caseload is one-third lighter than it was last September, after the office concluded 44 per cent more cases over the past eight months when compared to the same period last year.

Between January and August, the office concluded 488 cases – an increase of more than two-fifths over the first eight months of last year.

This saw the pending case load to date go down to 285 cases – 29 per cent less than the pending case load for the same period last year.

Aware that investigations should take the least possible time, several efforts have been made over the past year so as to increase and strengthen the Ombudsman’s investigative team, a spokesman said.

The Office of the Ombudsman was contacted following a letter published in this newspaper in which Frans Buhagiar complained of delays, having forwarded a complaint nine months earlier.

There is no single reason for the delay in closure of particular cases

“I came to know of others who, like me, have cases before the Ombudsman and, as these cases involve the government or government entities, they are becoming a never-ending story,” Mr Buhagiar wrote, adding that in the past he was always very satisfied with the service of the Ombudsman’s office.

The Ombudsman’s spokesman said the time it took to conduct an investigation varied depending on the complexity of the case and how long it took to get the required information.

One problematic sector that featured in the last two Ombudsman reports was health, with Commissioner for Health Charles Messina complaining back in 2014 that he was finding it hard to get replies from the Health Department.

In his annual report Mr Messina had insisted that he was expecting quicker answers and feedback, but the trend persisted throughout 2015. In July of this year, there were 28 cases – one dating back to 2013 –pending in front of the health commissioner.

In reply to Mr Messina, the Health Ministry had demanded “enough space” to be able to work on difficult cases flagged by the commissioner.

The Ombudsman’s spokesman meanwhile noted that in most cases, entities and departments cooperated with the Office and provided the necessary replies.

“There is no single reason for the delay in closure of particular cases. In some instances, the delay might be due to lack of immediate replies to our enquiries or the necessity of seeking further information and documentation…

“In other instances the complexity or nature of the complaint requires lengthy investigation or consultation with the entities concerned and research with regards to applicable legislation, policies and procedures.”

The Ombudsman can summon entities and their officials to provide information related to the investigation, and has the power to obtain all the relevant documentation.