Philip Rizzo, Foundation of Tomorrow Schools CEO, has made a number of accusations against Education Minister Evarist Bartolo and his permanent secretary in his resignation letter submitted yesterday, which the minister argues are baseless and false.
The resignation letter, as well as the responses by the minister and his permanent secretary were published by the Education Ministry.
It was previously reported that Mr Rizzo resigned after making allegations regarding corruption over issuing direct orders for the renovation of state schools.
In his resignation letter addressed to the Education Ministry's Permanent Secretary Joseph Caruana, Mr Rizzo says that his medically-certified ill health results from "profound disappointment at the discovery of serious breaches of government procurement regulations and of the criminal code and, more so, of your ministry's hesitancy over a considerable number of months to appropriately discipline the prima facie prime culprit in good time".
Mr Rizzo said that he repulses the "pathetic attempt" of the minister to suggest that his current mental state is the result of "any mere altercation" at work last October.
"He has known the true reasons since the last week of April, and he repeatedly attempted to dissuade me from formalising my discovery of serious multiple wrongdoings (primarily committed by a member of your own family) until the last day of August 2016," Mr Rizzo claims.
It was this incident, of which details were not revealed in the exchange, that caused Mr Rizzo to lose his trust in the Education Ministry. "Indeed I have since come to the sad conclusion that the differences of ethics and appreciation and application of the law between myself and yourselves is unable to change through time, making it impossible for me to remain in the position of CEO of the Foundation for Tomorrow Schools (FTS)".
"What finally broke my back was that on 6 September 2016, the newly appointed FTS Chairman, Dr Emanuel Camilleri, ruled that, contrary to my suggestion, the FTS Board should not call the OPM's Internal Audit and Investigations Directorate (IAID) to investigate the suspicions of multiple economic crimes that FTS' Executive Management had uncovered because, in his words, 'we would be disturbing his (Dr Camilleri's) analysis of the FTS' internal and external environment'".
He goes on to say that as a result, he had to file evidence with the economic crimes police on a personal basis rather than while representing the FTS Board or the ministry.
"Despite my resignation, I will continue to co-operate with the police, the IAID and the Permanent Commission against Corruption (which summoned me to provide documentary evidence). I will remain loyal to my own professional formation and experience as an auditor, to ensuring that public funds are properly and adequately used according to law and that the wrongdoings of specific individuals does not overshadow the sterling work done by most public officers".
Minister refutes cover-up claims
Education Minister Evarist Bartolo received and accepted the resignation of Philip Rizzo as head of the Foundation for Tomorrow Schools, while denying allegations made against him.
Minister Bartolo attached his own letter which is in reply to Mr Rizzo's.
The minister states that all of Mr Rizzo's insinuations of a cover-up organised by the minister are being strongly refuted in their entirety. "If you have any evidence to back up these allegations, you are being strongly encouraged to forward them to the authorities".
The minister makes reference to two transfers out of the Pembroke Head Office, saying that he never interfered and that Mr Rizzo was given full independence as to how he would carry out the necessary reforms at FTS.
"There is no basis in your remark that there was any pressure whatsoever to stop you from making formal reports".
The minister also states that the independent structure of the Foundation, as well as good governance mean that Mr Rizzo had no need to get any direct or indirect approval to make any report whatsoever "as it is your duty at law to bring any wrongdoing to the competent authorities"
The minister also denied ever making any reference to Mr Rizzo's mental state or mental health.
The press statement read that Minister Bartolo sent both Mr Rizzo's letter, as well as his own response to the Commission Against Corruption, the Internal Audit and Investigations Department and the Police Commissioner. It also adds that the Permanent Secretary, Joseph Caruana, has done the same.
Permanent Secretary Joseph Caruana also issued a reply to Mr Rizzo, in which he says that Mr Rizzo was at "complete liberty on the operational and management front of the entity. As CEO you were at duty to report any allegations of wrongdoing without any delay whatsoever".
Mr Caruana also took umbrage at the allegation that the ministry stopped him from making filing any complaints on any allegations.
"May I remind you that when you presented these allegations you were instructed to go to the police, however it was the ministry who reported these allegations first on 12 September 2016, after you informed the FTS Chairperson that you would delay to do so until 26 September," Mr Caruana said. He added that the ministry felt that any delay in reporting the allegations to the police was unacceptable.
"On 27 September 2016 the ministry also lodged a report with the IAID to make sure there was no stone left unturned in dealing with these allegations".
FTS Chairman responds
FTS Chairman Emanuel Camilleri released a press release of his own, stating that he strongly denies that he blocked any report being made to the Police.
"On the contrary, the FTS Chairperson wrote to Mr Rizzo on 1st September 2016 to instruct him to take any action deemed necessary in light of the allegations," an FTS statement read..
"The FTS Chairperson has always acted with integrity when approached with alleged wrongdoing. From day one action has been taken through the preparation of a strategic plan which has been formulated with the goal of strengthening various audit controls related to the financial and procurement regulations at FTS".
Philip Rizzo's resignation letter
Minister Bartolo's letter
Joseph Caruana's letter