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Three remanded in custody on Transport Malta corruption scandal
Updated | An architect employed with Transport Malta, a building contractor and an accounts clerk have been remanded in custody after being charged in separate sittings over a corruption scam and money laundering. A fourth person has admitted.
22 February 2012, 12:00am
Karl Stagno-Navarra
Karl Stagno-Navarra
2 min read
Four men have been arraigned over a new Transport Malta scandal
Gordon Zammit, 36, of Ghaxaq, employed as an architect within the Roads Directorate at Transport Malta has been sent to Corradino Prison where he is being held under preventative arrest following his arraignment on corruption regarding tenders for road works.
Zammit - who although lives in Ghaxaq but his ID card puts him at an address in Tower Road, Sliema - was arraignment following an investigation which led police to also arrest a construction developer, George Schembri of Birzebbuga, director of Alfred Schembri and Sons Ltd, and his accounts clerk, 36-year-old Donald Camilleri, as the people who benefited from the scam.
According to Inspector Angelo Gafa from the Economic Crimes Unit, Schembri’s company profited up to half a million euros in jut one year by inflating bills of quantities for road works done throughout the country.
Besides corruption, Schembri and Camilleri were also charged with money laundering and have had the company and their personal assets frozen by the Courts despite the defence lawyers who flagged the problems to be faced by the company which employs a number of people as well as produces a number of services to the construction industry.
All three were denied bail and escorted to Corradino Prisons while family members stood bewildered at how the events unfolded in the court room.
A fouth person, 36 year-old scrap dealer Godfrey Cutajar admitted to being the middle-man between Zammit and Schembri Bros Limited admitted to charges of bribery and money laundering.
Cutajar was charged with having acted on behalf of Gasparell Baling Co. Limited to launder the money which was paid by Schembri and Camilleri to the Transport Malta architect.
The court decreed that given the admission, there was enough evidence to indict Cutajar and referred the case to the Attorney General who has the discretion to decide on whether the accused will be sentenced by the lower courts or have his case referred to trial by jury.
A decision in camera is expected.
The court also ordered Cutajar's personal and company assets to be frozen.
This new case of corruption has yet again rocked the Transport Authority which has been riddled with cases of corruption over the past three years.
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Ergajna bil-paroli fil-vojt....The government has nothing to do with the result of the investigations which are carried out by the police and not by the ministers. Luckily those VAT personnel were found innocent otherwise they would have been accepted with open arms by labour. Viva l-lejber, viva l-lejber remember the chap who was then given a standing ovation by labour supporters? Remember the ex sec Mosta LC who blew the whistle? Remember those two ex PN councellers who are being investigated by the police..The sooner you shut up, the better for your party. Look up Bical Scandal on the internet
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They are picking up on the independent crooks - no one is touching the corruption that involves Austin Gatt and partners, or Tonio Fenech and other nationalist stooges.
Its exactly the same as the case with the VAT department were again they picked up on some lowly clerk and ignored the massive corruption at the top of that department.
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@Giov DeMartino. Yeah right! Like the case of the VAT department, where almost all got out scot free!!!!! GonziPN really fights corruption, and the EU survey about corruption, where Malta placed SECOND, is completely wrong and unfair!!!!!!!!!!!!I don't know if I should laugh or cry!
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@Giov DeMartino. I don't give any information to people like you. But the authorities concerned have all the information in details, but they didn't investigate any thing at all, or worse they made a cover up! And you are right, because the person I'm refering to, is trying to give the impression that he's voting PL in the next elections! It's all a gimick, because he's trying to get some type of cover up for all the illegalities that he's been doing under GonziPN. But I gave all the necessary information to the persons concerned, and the PL knows about this particular case! But GonziPN allows all this type of irregularities going on! For the time being nothing will change, but if there'll be a channge in government, things will be absolutely different.
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Jien lil dawn in-nies ma nafhomx u zgur li mhux se niggudikhom IMMA dawn ghandhom iserrhu mohhhom li jwekk jinsabu hatja jkunu jistghu jsibu rifugju mal-[partit laburista. Il-PL ghandu skip mill-aqwa. Bil-provi.
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Sorry Quo Vadis. Your long comment below says absolutely nothing. If you want to be taken seriously give us concrete facts.Allegations, insinuations, I know people etc....parole, parole, parole. Anzi soltanto parole. I'm not saying that there is no corruption, but at least, under A pn GOVT., persons have been taken to court. And if they were expelled from the PN, they found refuge in labour's skip.
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Well done. Maybe they go for the big fish at Transport Malta - maybe Austin Gatt himself? The fish stinks from the head first.
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@Giov DeMartino. As usual you are trying to give a helping hand to your beloved GonziPN. I know people who have been reporting abuses in the social benefits sector, along with abuses in the housing department. How can a disabled person, who also works illegally in the construction industry, who is renting a goverment apartment from the housing authority, moved into a different residence, while his son lives in the housing apartment instead of him? And of course, he receives social benefits on the same address!!!! Well, I forgot that he's canvasing a certain GonziPN candidate!! But, in the near future things are going to be different..............!
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This might be the tip of the iceberg. Only the small fish get fried in the end.
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No one prepares the knot for his own noose.
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Dear E.Privitera ic crieki ta crieki go criieki thats why. Sometimes I wonder what it means L ghajn li tried tixrob minnha ddardariex!
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Gonzipn is dragging his feet because he knows perfectly well what happened to JM Camilleri, ex sec. Mosta Local council for trying to blow a whistle.
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How can Lawrtence Gonzi keep dragging his feet to bring into effect the Whistleblower Act when there is so much corruption which can be uncovered ? And why is he still refusing to make the law retroactive ? What is he afraid of ?? Eddy Privitera
anna calleja •
Excellent work Inspector Gafa. Keep it up! Fighting corruption in Malta is becoming harder. It is so widespread that it has become overwhelming even to the police. You're one in a million.
