Reference is made to the article by Jacob Borg, in The Malta Independent yesterday, entitled “Whistleblower Act mute so far”.

As a point of clarification, I would like to point out that cases of Whistleblowing reporting do not pertain only to the Police Department, but also to all the government ministries and departments as well as the private sector from where the whistleblowing originates.

For this purpose, as Mr Borg rightly reported, the government has appointed a Whistleblower Official in each and every ministry and who is responsible by the said law to receive reports of whistleblowing.

The Parliamentary Secretariat for Justice receives an average of ten enquiries every week, related to the operations of this law.

The Parliamentary Secretariat for Justice has set up a website (www.whistleblower.gov.mt) providing all the necessary information in relation to this law. In addition, the Parliamentary Secretary for Justice has appointed Mr Godwin Pulis, a former experienced civil servant, to act as the interface between prospective whistleblowers and the actually appointed Whistleblower Officers. 

A help e-mail address ([email protected]) has been created for easy access to the public in general, both for receiving requests for information as well as for any reports of whistleblowing.

For the convenience of the public, the Parliamentary Secretariat for Justice has printed and distributed a Q & A based informative leaflet about the Whistleblower Act. The leaflet can be obtained from all the government ministries and departments and also from the local councils.

This law requires a change of mentality and, with this aim in view, the help of the media is requested in order to enable us to portray a mentality of disclosure rather than that of a ‘code of silence’.  To this effect the government is committed to keep evolving the concept of Whistleblower even in wider sectors, beyond those already existing.

Gertrude Borg Marks

Communications - Parliamentary Secretariat for Justice