ADPD blasts lack of accountability following Cutajar phantom job scandal

As the National Audit Office (NAO) report on the fraudulent contract awarded to Rosianne Cutajar remains unaddressed, the Green Party, ADPD, expressed growing concern over the lack of action by Commissioner of Police, Angelo Gafà.

In November, the NAO found no evidence to substantiate the need for ITS to employ ex-Labour MP as a consultant, also questioning the MP’s credentials for the contracted job.

Addressing a press conference on Saturday, ADPD Secretary General Ralph Cassar criticized the apparent lack of urgency in dealing with the case, emphasizing that despite the NAO report and public outcry, no steps have been taken against those involved. Cassar highlighted the weak defense put forth by MPs, ministers, and even the Prime Minister, accusing them of providing a feeble response to individuals implicated in fraud.

Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo was singled out for defending Rosianne Cutajar, while also defending the controversial actions of ITS CEO Pierre Fenech.

ADPD Chairperson Sandra Gauci denounced the ongoing political "tit-for-tat" between Labour and the PN. Gauci expressed her party's focus on limiting conflicts of interest and tackling phantom jobs and appointments, criticizing the current nepotistic system for enabling abuse of power.

Sandra Gauci urged Commissioner Angelo Gafà to take action against those involved in the fraudulent contract scandal, drawing parallels with the delayed action in the case of Melvin Theuma's phantom job. The Green Party insisted on the removal of Pierre Fenech from his dual positions as CEO of ITS and MCC and called for immediate investigations into the fraud allegations. Former Minister Konrad Mizzi was not forgotten by ADPD, as the party also demanded an investigation into his role in the scandal.

The Green Party stressed the need for criminal action against all parties involved, expressing disbelief at the Commissioner's procrastination despite a detailed public report by the Auditor General.

The Green Party emphasized that the public should not be forced to take on the role of law enforcement and demanded swift action to address the culture of impunity surrounding cases of fraud and abuse of power.

ADPD has also created a petition aimed at pushing the police to act. The petition can be signed here.