The resignation of the top two officials of the government’s school-building agency was played down yesterday by Education Minister Evarist Bartolo, despite chairman Emanuel Camilleri and CEO Raphael Axiak refusing to continue in their roles less than a year from their appointment.

Times of Malta is informed that it was officials from Mr Bartolo’s ministry who ordered the termination of Mr Axiak’s contract. As the chairman was not involved and disagreed with the ministry’s decision, he too decided to step down.

Asked yesterday for his reaction, Mr Bartolo gave a different version to the sudden resignations at the embattled agency, playing down the departure of the two officials and arguing that it was their decision to move on.

Mr Bartolo said Mr Axiak was still in his probation period at the FTS, while Mr Camilleri was offered to renew his term but chose not to.

Mr Bartolo admitted that so far, many of the “ambitious projects” connected to the building of new schools have not started but said that “a lot of internal work has been done”.

“Now we need new skills and different competences to move forward on our ambitious programme of works,” Mr Bartolo said, praising the two departing officials.

The reality is the FTS is a mess and no one knows what is going on

Meanwhile, this newspaper is informed that despite a contract being awarded many months ago for the building of a new school in St Paul’s Bay, construction is at a standstill and FTS officials have no idea when the building will start.

“Whatever excuse the minister can come up with, the reality is that the FTS is a mess and no one knows what is going on. Over the last year no new works have been started,” on official said.

According to the officials, whereas the foundation, until a few years ago, had managed to build a new school every year, with half its current staff, the present situation was one of “total chaos”. Under Mr Bartolo’s watch, the FTS has had five CEOs, with all of them tendering their resignations just a few months after having been appointed.

The situation hit a low last year when former CEO Philip Rizzo – selected personally by Mr Bartolo to put the FTS’s house in order – resigned and accused the minister of not doing anything to stop endemic corruption involving one of his closest aides.

Mr Rizzo also submitted to the police a 200-page dossier on claims of corruption by Edward Caruana – Mr Bartolo’s chief canvasser – accusing the former of siphoning hundreds of thousands of euros in funds and material for his personal benefit. It later emerged Mr Caruana was constructing an apartment development in Rabat.

The Times of Malta also reported that former FTS chairman Samuel Formosa was Mr Bartolo’s architect on works at his residence in Swieqi while acting as Dr Bartolo’s consultant at his ministry.

Mr Bartolo denies that he tried to dissuade Mr Rizzo from reporting corruption claims.

Asked yesterday to state why Mr Caruana has not been arraigned, Mr Bartolo said that “the process is independent of his ministry”. The police say they are still investigating.

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