The former CEO of the Foundation for Tomorrow’s Schools testified in court on Thursday how invoices presented by a former aide of Education Minister Evarist Bartolo appeared to have been falsified.

Philip Rizzo was giving evidence in proceedings against Edward Caruana, a former official of the foundation, who stands accused of corruption, falsification of documents and bribery.

Mr Rizzo recounted how he had been approached by Tony Muscat, the foundation's chief operating officer, who was troubled by some seven claims for payment which appeared to be fraudulent.

The invoices for €25,000 had been presented on "perfectly white sheets of paper, fresh, clean, obviously issued from the same machine and showing no signs of wear and tear", Mr Rizzo explained.

The claims, relating to refurbishment works on the public toilets at Victoria, Gozo, had been certified as "fair and reasonable" by architect Cornelia Tabone.

It was not a proper signature, but looked rather like some schoolboy’s handwriting

Three of the invoices bore no signature, while the signatures on two others were evidently false, with Mr Rizzo stating “it was not a proper signature, but looked rather like some schoolboy’s handwriting.”

Mr Rizzo said he had sent a memo by hand to the Permanent Secretary, Joe Caruana, the accused’s brother, asking for guidance.

“What do you think you're doing? Do you think that I don't know what those invoices are?” the permanent secretary replied on the phone.

When asked for a written reply, Joe Caruana had hung up, Mr Rizzo recounted.

After a while, the requested reply was personally delivered by the minister’s driver who turned up with a note stating “I understand works have been carried out by FTS.”

On June 23, 2016, Mr Rizzo said he had called a meeting for the relative contractors, all of whom, save for one, appeared to have no knowledge of the works mentioned in the invoices. One of the men had declared outright that the signature was not his.

Another contractor, Joe Carabott, whom Mr Rizzo met separately, likewise denied that he had put his signature to the invoice, stressing “I’ve never done works in Gozo.”

Some time later, the same contractor told Mr Rizzo how he was being harassed by Edward Caruana, the man in charge of all works related to the Foundation in Gozo, who was pressuring him not to finish plastering works on the Swatar school at Dingli.

Mr Caruana was apparently doing this so that the FTS would be put in a bad light once the works on the new school were not completed in time for the fast approaching scholastic year.

Moreover, Mr Carabott had told Mr Rizzo that Edward Caruana was asking for bribes consisting of 3% on the works and a 40-foot long container of tiles, personally selected by Mr Caruana himself.

Mr Rizzo said this worried him, since this meant that the former minister’s aide was involved in some building project, evidently in breach of his contract of employment, the court heard.

Mr Rizzo said he sent an e-mail to the FTS chairman, Emanuel Camilleri, and a hand-delivered copy to the minister, who replied that as CEO he (Mr Rizzo) had “enough prima facie evidence to report the matter to the police.”

Mr Rizzo said that after allowing sufficient time for the works on the Dingli school to be completed in time for the scholastic year, on September 23 in the early morning he sent an e-mail to the police inspector informing him that he wished to file a report, which he did later that same day.

Mr Rizzo said that acting on the minister’s instructions, in early September 2016, he had written to the office of the Prime Minister to request that Edward Caruana reverted to his previous employment.

But Joe Caruana, as Permanent Secretary, had reversed the order and issued directions for his brother would be sent to another ministry under the same conditions and pay package of some €50,000.

“OPM will act as directed from my end. No further comment” read one e-mail sent by the Permanent Secretary to Mr Rizzo.

In spite of another e-mail from Minister Bartolo stating “Keep on doing the fantastic work you are doing”, Mr Rizzo said he decided to call it a day.

The case continues.

Magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech is presiding.

Lawyers Stephen Tonna Lowell and Stefano Filletti are defence counsel.

Inspector Rennie Stivala is prosecuting.