Labour’s shadow minister for roads has admitted not having passed on detailed information to the chairman of the planning authority, on people he accused of having paid a MEPA official.
Charles Buhagiar had alleged a case of abuse in parliament concerning a MEPA employee, but when confronted by chairman Andrew Calleja to provide him with the relevant documentation, he refused citing client confidentiality.
Talking to MaltaToday, Buhagiar yesterday said he had presented all documentation, albeit with names blacked out, on the table of the House. But he also said it was when police later intervened, at the behest of Andrew Calleja’s request, that he decided to pass all information in full for investigation.
He told MaltaToday he had laid copies of cheques paid to the MEPA officer, with the names erased, on the table of the House.
Last Wednesday, the Labour opposition lambasted the Nationalist government with accusations that a suspended official at MEPA was on full pay – referring to the official who was suspended from the authority following the revelations by Buhagiar.
However, MEPA chairman Andrew Calleja told MaltaToday: “Yes, he is out on full pay, but that is what the collective agreement says and I cannot break the rules.”
On the Buhagiar allegation, he said, “When years ago, Buhagiar mentioned a case of corruption in parliament, I invited him to this office where he showed me certain documents pertaining to the case. I then urged him to pass on the information so that I could take action but unfortunately, citing professional ethics to protect his client’s interest, he chose to retain the documents.
“However I initiated an internal investigation which resulted in a request to the police to pursue the matter. They did and he was arraigned in court.”
The annoying novelty of this case is that the employee is still on full pay, despite being suspended, pending a court sentence.

More: Andrew Calleja interviewed