'Tens of whistleblowers' come forward every year, says Minister

Justice minister Owen Bonnici has said that Whistleblowing Officers are receiving “tens of reports of illegalities every year.”

Bonnici made the statement on tonight’s instalment of weekly TV discussion forum Reporter, in the minister’s answer to a question put to him by program host Saviour Balzan, asking whether he would change anything in the Protection of the Whistleblower Act.

The most serious reports include criminal acts, added the minister.

Balzan had asked Nationalist MEP Therese Comodini Cachia whether she thought that PN leader Simon Busuttil’s filing of a judicial protest, accusing works-for-votes whistleblower Joe Cauchi of lying about him to increase his chances of getting paid for his illegal works and asking for his whistleblower status to be reviewed, was wrong. Comodini Cachia had not finished stating her position on the matter when she was interrupted by the Justice minister.

“This is a law that works and which has brought about a culture-shift,” said the usually implacable minister with a hint of annoyance. “Is the leader of the Opposition helping by attacking the whistleblower? How is this encouraging people to come forward?”

He rebutted Comodini Cachia’s assertion that Prime Minister Joseph Muscat was using the Gozo whistleblower as a political football. “When we drafted the Act, we put the ball firmly in the hands of the institutions: the Attorney General, the police,” said the minister, making an appeal to the public to use the new law for the good of society.