Culture of political favours ‘millstone’ around Malta, magistrate says

Magistrate Joe Mifsud has lashed out at the culture of seeking favours from ministers or high-ranking public officials as he decided two cases that had been filed by a pair of employees at Boffa hospital against each other.

The reciprocal criminal complaints had been filed over what appeared to be a long-standing workplace conflict between a male health assistant and a female charge nurse at the cancer and dermatological treatment facility.

The nurse alleged that she had reported the man for jabbing his finger in her face when confronted about his wandering the wards, which she said had been upsetting to nurses and female patients alike.

The man, a healthcare assistant who had subsequently been transferred due to the nurse's complaint, told the court that he had called her “a bad person” as she had “made his life hell.” “She wouldn't even let me leave the building for my break.”

But he had also promised to pay her back if she reported him to her superiors again, the court heard. The woman alleged that the man would often try to intimidate her.

“I was afraid, not just for myself but also for my staff. He would stand in the doorway, blocking me from passing. He would also be disobedient and difficult. I felt threatened. He has a tattoo of his children on his arm and had sworn on their life that he would get his revenge on me and my staff.” Her superior had removed the man from the post, but he had persisted in returning to harass her, she said.

The court was told that the man had threatened to get the nurse fired, giving her the impression that he had friends in high places. She said he had gone to the Office of the Prime Minister to try and get her fired.

It was at that point that the magistrate angrily slammed his hand on the desk. “We must cut this out once and for all, this trying to curry favour with politicians in return for favours. When they grant you these favours they are making you a millstone around the neck of the entire country! He can go to the OPM and to the Leader of the Opposition and to the Partit tal-Farfett for all I care. Whoever commits abuses should not be protected.”

Magistrate Mifsud told the pair in no uncertain terms that had he been in charge of the hospital, he would have fired them both. “You're there for to care for the patients,” he said.

Noting that none of the witnesses had been able to give a specific occasion where the nurse had used insulting language against the man, the court found her not guilty. The male healthcare assistant was cleared of breaching the peace but fined a total of €858 for insulting the woman and threatening a public official. He was also bound not to confront or threaten the woman against a personal guarantee of €1,000.

Inspector Daryl Borg prosecuted.