In October 2023, The Times published a front page report revealing that Parliamentary Secretary Andy Ellul’s driver, Roger Agius, was claiming disability benefits while driving him around.  Ellul swiftly resorted to Facebook, commenting “I can certainly state that I did not know and was not informed about any alleged abuse or anything else being reported in the media”. Now his driver, in court submissions, claims that he’d told Andy Ellul he couldn’t be his driver because he was receiving severe disability benefits and was prohibited from driving.

Agius wasn’t just Andy Ellul’s driver.  He’d also been Silvio Grixti’s driver and right hand man. Labour is now pinning all the blame for the money stolen from the State as part of an elaborate disability benefits scandal on Grixti, the former Labour MP and local GP.

Roger Agius was well known in Labour’s circles - and he was completely trusted, so trusted that an official in the Social Policy Ministry gave him a burner phone to communicate with him about the disability benefits racket.

Everybody in Silvio Grixti’s electoral district knew Roger Agius.

And Andy Ellul was co-opted into parliament to take Silvio Grixti’s seat when the latter was quietly and mysteriously dumped. Ellul immediately took on Grixti’s canvasser and driver, Roger Agius to be his own driver.  He needed him for his constituency work, to mobilise support in preparation for his own election.

Court submissions reveal that Agius had received authorization not to report for work but simply to sign in and leave to carry out constituency work for the Labour Party. He was told that he would be protected.

When the massive disability benefits scandal broke, in a bizarre Facebook post Ellul disassociated himself completely from his former driver - a complete betrayal that Agius would never forget or forgive.

“Times of Malta published on its front page a story that PN sources informed me is part of an attack that is being prepared against me,” Andy Ellul declared. “If that is the case I can declare that it will fall flat.  I am going to end the speculation and political dirt immediately”.

What was Andy Ellul’s excuse for recruiting as his driver a man receiving severe disability benefits, prohibited from driving? Why did Ellul employ Roger Agius in his private secretariat? “It’s true that my driver resigned from my secretariat but that was six months ago not a few weeks ago as the newspaper reported”.  The timing wasn’t the issue.

Ellul presented more hollow claims of his innocence. “Dates of seven years ago were mentioned when I wasn’t even a candidate let alone an MP…this person was interrogated just days ago by the police, months after his resignation from my secretariat,” Ellul added, seeking to exculpate himself. The date of interrogation was completely irrelevant.  What matters is what Ellul knew about Agius before he recruited him and what he did.

Ellul’s panic at the time the story surfaced was clear. “I appeal to the PN that instead of playing dirty political games, they should seek the truth and not try to manipulate it”.  Sadly for Ellul that truth is coming out. And it’s not looking good for Andy Ellul.

Ellul’s claim that “I did not know and was not informed about any alleged abuse” now looks as hollow as it sounds. At best Ellul was completely negligent by recruiting a man whose licence should have been surrendered to drive him around.  Ellul was reckless by accepting to be driven by a man claiming severe disability benefits.  How did Roger Agius even get insurance cover to drive the Parliamentary Secretary’s car?

At worst Ellul knew from the start what was going on.  He’d seen with his own eyes the massive popularity of his predecessor Silvio Grixti. 

Roger Agius is now Labour’s enemy number one.  Agius broke Labour’s most fundamental rule - the rule of secrecy.

Understandably hurt by the way Labour betrayed him, Agius is spilling the beans. He repeatedly wrote to the Whistleblower office at the OPM pledging to reveal key information about the massive scandal.  The OPM not only ignored him but allegedly contacted him ordering him to drop his lawyer, Jason Azzopardi with the promise he wouldn’t be prosecuted.

Agius’ lawyer wrote to the AG advising her that his client was willing to divulge details of the criminal racket including the complicity of cabinet members.  The AG didn’t bother to reply.

Agius revealed key details of the disability benefits racket to the Financial Crimes police.  Those details allegedly quickly reached the OPM.  A clear message was sent to him that OPM knew what he was up to.  The messenger warned him - be careful (Mohhok hemm).

When Agius asked the interrogating police officer to take him before the magistrate to testify under oath, the police rejected his request.

In March 2024 Agius filed a judicial protest alleging an organised cover-up of the social benefits racket by the OPM, police, the state advocate and the AG.  He provided information about how his efforts to testify about cabinet members had been rejected.  He documented how his efforts to contact the OPM had been rebuffed and how FCID police officers ignored him.

Agius wants the truth to come out. That’s why he requested a magisterial inquiry in his judicial protest. Andy Ellul, on the other hand, is conspicuously silent.