An informant who exposed illicit activities connected to a driver’s licence scam within Transport Malta had to leave Malta after an unexpected revocation of his residence permit,  according to Arnold Cassola.

In an editorial for Times of Malta, Cassola mentioned that the informant, pseudonymously named Aziz, had been a long-time resident of Malta and was deeply rooted in the local community, even serving as the secretary for a local Labour Party branch.

However, Cassola suggests that this decision to expel Aziz was a backlash for his role in uncovering corruption within the transportation agency. Aziz, who had lived in Malta for nearly two decades, was forced to depart.

During his tenure at Transport Malta, Aziz worked as a translator, aiding candidates during their driving tests who were not proficient in either Maltese or English. He had emailed the police about a scheme where officials helped learners cheat during their exams. Consequently, three individuals, including TM director Clint Mansueto, faced corruption allegations.

Court testimonies showed Mansueto pressuring examiners to favorably score certain candidates. Mansueto later confessed to the police about yielding to the demands from an unnamed minister, even though ministers have refuted involvement in this scam.

Delving into Aziz’s background, Cassola noted that he had migrated to Malta from the Jenin Palestinian refugee camp 18 years prior and had a challenging childhood, even surviving a 2002 Israeli raid on his camp. In Malta, he built friendships and played an active role in the Labour Party. After his Maltese citizenship applications post-2017 elections were denied, he chose to expose the Transport Malta racket.

Cassola claimed that Aziz reached out to several prominent personalities, like former minister Carmelo Abelo, but received no response. Attempts to discuss this with Minister Borg also proved futile.

Despite being away, Aziz is prepared to testify about the alleged scandal. Cassola emphasizes that his insights could be valuable.

Rule of law NGO Repubblika responding to Cassola’s article, spotlighted the persistent deficiency in whistleblower protection laws. They asserted that revealing corruption should be rewarded, not punished. Moreover, they argued that long-term Malta residents deserve Maltese citizenship, and not providing it is discriminatory. In Aziz’s case, his exclusion was particularly harsh as he was merely exposing deceit.

Repubblika urged an impartial investigation and, if verified, Aziz should be granted Maltese citizenship, allowed to return, and compensated for his unwarranted sufferings.

Do you think Malta should tighten its whistleblower laws?