The University of Malta is investigating claims that Prof. Andrew Azzopardi plagiarised the work of a colleague within his department.

Education Minister Justyne Caruana confirmed the detail following a parliamentary question from MP Anthony Agius Decelis.

Criminology lecturer Saviour Formosa warned of plagiarism in a paper Azzopardi had co-authored this year.

In a Facebook comment left under a post that Azzopardi published last September to announce the paper, Formosa told the dean to inform everyone that the paper had been withdrawn “as it amounted to academic theft (plagiarism) from articles published myself and Dr Formosa Pace”.

He also urged Azzopardi to issue a public apology.

History lecturer Simon Mercieca then revealed that Formosa took it a step further, posting in a group for UM academics that Azzopardi should resign as Dean of the Faculty.

“Truly a sad day for Maltese scholarship,” Formosa said. “That a student plagiarises work is worrying, that an academic and an RSO severely plagiarise colleagues’ hard-sought publications is unheard of in this Alma Mater. That the authors include the Dean of Social Wellbeing is utterly condemnable.”

Azzopardi has denied the claims.

“If this is an attempt at silencing me, I want to assure everyone that I will keep responding with vigour to the current social issues, whether it’s about prisons, activism or other social issues I believe need to be represented in our society,” he told Lovin Malta. 

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