The Prime Minister’s Office said yesterday that Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi had received a letter from the Malta Transport Authority (ADT) which clearly showed that both the authority and Urban Development and Roads Minister Jesmond Mugliett had acted correctly in the case regarding the two ADT officials whose employment was terminated after they were found guilty of fraud.

In a statement issued last night, the OPM said it was clear that “at no time was there any interference on behalf of Minister Mugliett” on the issue.

Since many media reports have alleged that Minister Mugliett had tried to stop the two ADT officials from being sacked, said the statement, it was now clear that Minister Mugliett had asked the ADT to delay the termination of employment until the process that follows a request for a presidential pardon was concluded. This had to be done, since the two officials in question had made an official demand for a presidential pardon.

In the letter, the Chairman of the Transport Authority clearly explains that as soon as the ADT had become aware that two of its officials had allegedly abused their position, it immediately called on the police to investigate.

The two officials were arraigned, and after they were found guilty of the charges brought against them, they lodged an appeal.

The letter states that the Executive Head of the ADT kept the Minister informed about the case and that at no time did the minister interfere.

A few days later, the lawyer acting for the ADT officials wrote to the authority, requesting that the decision to terminate their employment be suspended since they had asked for a presidential pardon. The lawyer had insisted that there had been a similar case in the past.

Following this, Minister Mugliett brought to the attention of the executive head of the ADT that the case referred to by the lawyer was similar to the current case, and therefore he suggested the decision to terminate their employment should be deferred until a decision on the presidential pardon was taken.

The letter ends by stating that in June, the Justice Ministry had informed the ADT that the presidential pardon had not been granted, and therefore the ADT Board immediately terminated the employment of the officials.