Three Gozitan civil service employees have been suspended and a magisterial inquiry has been launched over "irregularities" in road construction tenders going back as far as 2004, the Gozo Ministry announced this evening.

The ministry did not give any further details but said it had gone to the police to file reports.

It said the first report on the alleged irregularities was made in November 2013 and more reports were made in the past weeks. The police have been given full access to computers and documents pertaining to the three suspended employees.

The ministry said it would continue to cooperate fully with the authorties and insisted that no abuse would be tolerated.