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An anti-corruption commission with a paltry budget

By Kurt Sansone

With the Sciberras Grioli case ending in the lap of the Permanent Commission Against Corruption, controversy has erupted on whether the Commission is the suitable judicial body to investigate the serious allegations made by the Opposition leader.

The chairman of the Commission, Judge Albert Manche is expected to be Malta’s corruption tsar, only excepthe has a paltry budget of Lm30,000 and lack of human resources to contend with.

The Commission is composed of the chairman and two members, Dr Raymond Zammit and retired Lt. Col. John Harrison and a secretary. It yields wide investigative powers including the right to examine any files connected with the case under review. The Commission can also require people to give evidence in front of it. It is independent of any government department although it gets its financing from the Ministry of Justice.

But sources told MaltaToday that the budget allocated to the Commission is limiting. They pointed out that wages, remuneration of experts, printing of reports and other expenses incurred during investigations have to be forked out from the allocated budget. In 2001 the Commission spent just over Lm30,000 from the Lm40,000 that had been allocated to it. Now in 2002 the Commission was allotted Lm30,000.

After completing investigations the Commission then presents its findings to the Ministry of Justice for consideration and eventual action if required. The Commission is not a Court of Law, and therefore cannot find anybody guilty.

But speaking in Parliament on Wednesday, 23 January Dr Sant described the Commission as a Nationalist Party lap dog and shed doubt on the veracity of the outcome of the Sciberras Grioli investigation.

The Labour Party is insisting that government launch an independent inquiry to investigate the allegations made against Mr Sciberras Grioli.

The allegations centre around Mr Sciberras Grioli’s former appointment as Chief Executive of the Housing Authority.

On 17 January, two days after Dr Sant reiterated his allegations in Parliament, Social Policy Minister Lawrence Gonzi revealed that Victor Sciberras Grioli had asked the Commission to investigate the allegations made in his regard. Mr Sciberras Grioli himself confirmed this during the Bondi+ television programme on 22 January.