Civil society activists want public inquiry into Grixti disability benefits racket

Civil society activists outside Castille have called on the prime minister to institute. public inquiry into a benefits scandal that has implicated former Labour MP Silvio Grixti and various government employees.

Repubblika president Vicki-Ann Cremona said allegations of cover-ups and collusion by police and government officials on the disability benefits racket had now assumed more seriousness than the abuse itself.

“We believe this matter is so serious that it warrants a public inquiry. If there was a cover-up, the public inquiry will reveal these attempts, and if those making these serious allegations are lying, they would have been exposed.

“The Maltese people have the right to a clean administration and to know the whole truth. The Prime Minister has an obligation to protect democracy and defend the interests of the Maltese people, regardless of who failed and betrayed the trust given to them,” Cremona said.

Grixti resigned from Parliament after being questioned by the police in an investigation into irregular sick notes with forged signatures of doctors. Grixti was arrested and released on police bail.

Grixti now stands accused of issuing fake medical documents to help individuals receive social benefits of around €450 per month for serious disabilities they did not have.

“This was at the expense of those genuinely suffering from such disabilities. It is estimated that this fraud cost the Maltese and Gozitan people over €10 million, paid to between 400-500 individuals since 2019,” Repubblika president Vicki-Ann Cremona said upon presentation of an open letter from Repubblika, UHM-Voice of the Workers, the University Students’ Council, Aditus, Graffitti, Kopin, the Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation, Occupy Justice, and Manueldelia.com

Grixti, along with Roger Agius, Emanuel Spagnol, Dustin Caruana, and Luke Saliba - all canvassers of various ministers – were charged with money laundering, fraud, criminal organisation, and falsification of official documents.

“Despite the serious accusations Grixti faced, while on police bail in a government fraud investigation, Robert Abela knew the police were investigating Grixti but retained him as a consultant in the Prime Minister’s office, Transport Malta, the Health Ministry, and the Lands Authority’s medical board,” Cremona said.

The accused Roger Agius, formerly a driver a the parliamentary secretary Andy Ellul, has now alleged that police and politicians are involved in a cover-up and that thevOffice of the Prime Minister offered not to prosecute him if he dismissed his lawyer, Jason Azzopardi, the former Nationalist MP.

“Agius requested whistleblower status but was ignored,” Cremona said. “Despite having a Whistleblower Protection Act for the past ten years, it remains unusable. Repubblika published a detailed study arguing for necessary changes to this law, insisting that the fight against corruption requires the collaboration of whistleblowers, who need protection from retaliation. It is unacceptable for the government to decide whether someone receives whistleblower protection through officials appointed by ministers.”

Cremona said the central motivation of the benefits racket was electoral fraud in favour of the Labour Party. “Fraud against the State is a serious matter. But officials in the police and government knowing about the fraud, and trying to cover it up, is extremely serious.”