The Archdiocese of Malta has called on former minister and media commentator Michael Falzon to substantiate remarks he made in the local media alleging “there are stories of…corruption…in the Curia’s own administrative structures” and that “the Archbishop knows about these cases”.

The Curia said that under Archbishop Charles Scicluna’s stewardship, administrative and governance structures within the Archdiocese have been strengthened through a range of measures aimed at bolstering transparency and accountability within Curia structures.

These include the setting up of an Internal Audit Unit reporting directly to the Internal Audit Committee whose members act at arm’s length from the Archbishop’s Curia, the appointment of a money laundering reporting officer, the commissioning of a request for proposals from external auditors, instituting a Whistleblowing Policy and designating two staff members as whistleblower reporting officers, and the setting up of a procurement office to further segregate duties and reduce the likelihood of error or fraud. 

“Aside from the above administrative measures, which place the Archbishop’s Curia on a par with the most highly respected public entities, Archbishop Scicluna has also collaborated with colleagues at a Vatican level to strengthen measures and structures aimed at improving the broader Church’s response to clerical abuse cases,” the Curia said.

The Archdiocese strongly urged Falzon, as well as anyone who believes they may have information regarding alleged corruption, to file reports with the appropriate authorities rather than resorting to gratuitous slurs and baseless statements. 

“The Archdiocese categorically denies the suggestion that the Archbishop possesses any knowledge of such cases.”