Board Of Inquiry Established To Probe Payroll Irregularities At MCAST
The Ministry for Education, Sports, Youth, Research and Innovation has announced the establishment of an independent Board of Inquiry under the Inquiries Act (Cap. 273 of the Laws of Malta) into the case of fraud and misappropriation of public funds by MCAST.
Minister for Education, Sports, Youth, Research and Innovation Clifton Grima has appointed Judge Emeritus Antonio Mizzi as Chairman of the Board of Inquiry, together with two other members, to conduct the process in accordance with the terms of reference that have been established.
The inquiry shall:
• establish the facts, processes, procedures and systems of MCAST relating to payroll, and identify the administrative, civil and/or criminal liabilities where applicable;
• verify whether there was a relationship between the decisions or actions taken by MCAST officials and the case of fraud and misappropriation of public funds;
• examine MCAST’s current systems and whether they provide automatic mechanisms to identify suspicious activity or maladministration;
• submit necessary conclusions and recommendations, both regulatory and administrative, to strengthen governance and accountability at MCAST.
The Board of Inquiry is authorised to appoint experts where necessary, and shall submit its report to the Minister within no more than six weeks from the date of appointment of the Board of Inquiry.
The inquiry will be conducted in a manner that does not interfere with or prejudice other pending investigations or legal proceedings related to the case.
The Minister reiterated that the autonomy of MCAST will remain respected and that the process will be carried out in collaboration with the Internal Audit and Compliance Directorate within the Ministry and with the support of the Internal Audit and Investigations Department (IAID).
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