Transport Malta director instructed driving examiners to give 'easy test' to certain applicants

Transport Malta director Clint Mansueto has instructed examiners to give certain candidates an “easy test”, a court heard on Friday.

Testifying, examiner Duncan Azzopardi said some of the candidates were so bad at driving that he would instruct them to drive back to the testing centre as they were a “danger to the public.”

He testified that Mansueto, who together with former Żebbuġ Labour councillor Philip Edrick Zammit and Raul Antonio Pace, is charged with corruption and trading in influence, had regularly issued instructions to examiners to take it easy on select applicants.

Azzopardi said the Transport Malta director would not be too happy when the candidates failed their driving test.

During previous testimonies, other driving examiners had testified how Mansueto would tell him to help certain candidates to pass their driving tests, because they were “the minister’s.”

The instructions would either be verbal or written on the documents, said the witness, explaining that if the time of the test was indicated on the test documents, he was to ensure the candidate passed. “You’d go to work, and he’d send for you, to tell you which candidates to take care of because they were the minister’s. Sometimes there would be a note. In the morning, a package of documents is handed to the examiner. If a time is listed it meant that they were ‘tal-ministru’.”

“I was asked to give them an easy test or choose an easy route so that they would pass the exam,” Azzopardi testified on Friday.

He went on to explain how he would be called to the director’s office and Mansueto would single out particular applicants.

When asked ow he would react to these candidate’s failed test, Azzopardi said he would not be pleased. “For example, if I went back telling him that the candidate failed at the Floriana roundabout, he’d ask ‘why ever did you go there?’”

Despite Mansueto saying the instructions were received “from the ministry”, he never specified which ministry, Azzopardi testified.

Second witness Transport Malta official Alan Borg, presented information on a list of names found in diaries which had been seized by investigators from the accused.

Lawyer Arthur Azzopardi and Jacob Magri are appearing for Mansueto, lawyers Joe Giglio and Roberta Bonello are representing Pace. Lawyer Herman Mula is appearing for Zammit.

Attorney General lawyers Abigail Caruana Vella and Gary Cauchi assisted Inspector Wayne Borg as prosecution.

The case is being heard by Magistrate Rachel Montebello.