The Ministry for Urban Development and Roads has appointed a Board of Inquiry with ambitious terms of reference to investigate the alleged irregularities regarding driving tests at the Malta Transport Authority.
The ministry said the facts regarding the allegations at the Driving Examiners Unit are as follows: On 16 May 2006, a candidate who took the driving test alleged that he had passed on a sum of money to his driving instructor to ensure that he would pass the test. The examiner then presented a report on the case to the head of the Driving Examiners Unit who opened an internal investigation into the case.
During this preliminary inquiry, the driving instructor who was involved in the case admitted that he had accepted money from the candidate and as soon as this occurred, the ADT withdrew his licence to give driving lessons. The report of the preliminary inquiry resulted in the Chief Executive Officer of the ADT ordering a detailed internal inquiry on the case.
The ministry said that as soon as reports appeared in the English language media, the police began interrogating other examiners and officials within the Driving Examiners Unit. It resulted that the police investigations had been going on for some months and the ADT suspended its internal inquiry to assist the police.
On 1 June and in the subsequent days, the ADT suspended five driving examiners and ordered them not to report for work and go out on forced leave. The transfer of a particular examiner was carried out well before the allegations came to light and was carried out due to the fact that the said examiner might have been operating in a conflicting situation.
The ADT had also taken disciplinary measures in June 2005 against one of its officials after it was alleged that certain candidates for the driving test were being allocated to a specific examiner.
The ministry and the ADT strongly denied that the candidates who took the test in the past months have been asked to retake it again. The ministry said that it would be looking at the structures within the ADT and would be carrying out the necessary reforms.
The Board of Inquiry is made up of Louis Cilia (chairman), Paul Attard and Dr Richard Galea Debono.