MITA chairman Claudio Grech resigns

Corrected at 3:53 pm.

Malta IT Agency chairman Claudio Grech has tendered his resignation from head of the government agency, claiming he is the target of an "unwarranted smear campaign aimed at tarnishing the agency's and [his] reputation and integrity."

Grech was referring to claims by the Opposition that his position at the head of MITA and his political role inside the Nationalist Party, were untenable.

Last week, the Data Protection Commissioner said there was no evidence that Grech had access to private citizens' data held by MITA.

In his letter to investments and communications minister Austin Gatt, Grech - whose private occupation is that of a management advisor - wrote that the 'smear campaign' had held him back from his decision earlier. "Now that the Commissioner for Data Protection has concluded his investigation, I feel the truth is known and the Agency has emerged stronger than ever. Hence, I felt this is the right time to move on."

Grech also said he found it increasingly difficult to balance the time required to lead the agency and to manage his private business.

Grech thanked Gatt for giving him various leadership positions. "It was indeed a privilege to be part of the political driving force that has developed and nurtured Malta's information society and transformed its traditional industries into a thriving knowledge-based economy."

In his reply, Gatt thanked him for his service over the past 14 tears. "You have been a key player and an inspiring leader in the government's digital programme and Malta will continue to benefit from your achievements for many years to come."

The Data Protection Commissioner found no breach of privacy in allegations brought forward by Labour MP Michael Farrugia against Claudio Grech, after the latter asked Commissioner Joseph Ebejer to investigate claims that as MITA chairman he had access to sensitive data pertaining to every citizen, and this conflicted with his political involvement inside the Nationalist Party.

Farrugia claimed Grech's 'dual role' was "a danger to individuals' liberty when it comes to data protection."

Farrugia told Ebejer that Claudio Grech, a former head of secretariat to Investments Minister Austin Gatt, had negotiated the land deal with Dubai's Tecom Investments for the construction of Smart City Malta. He was later employed as chief executive of SCM, and also politically appointed as MITA chairman.

Farrugia said Grech was intimate with the Nationalist Party's IT systems and had declared he had coordinate all the party's electoral data with the PN's secretary-general.

Farrugia also referred to Grech's participation in last May's referendum campaign against divorce, and stated that he should not be involved in politics as chairman of a public authority.

In his conclusions, Ebejer said he had conducted inspections at MITA to see what access employees and the chairman had to the agency's databases, which include government ministries' and public companies' databases as well. Ebejer concluded that Grech had no access to personal information according to an inspection to the MARVAL database.