Fish landings graft probe, police suspect €800,000 in bribes

Police investigators are probing an alleged bribery network over the validation of fish landings that has focused on top civil servants in the fisheries department, MaltaToday has learnt.

Three individuals were targeted in investigations, although one suspect was said to have passed away.

Police believe as much as €800,000 in illicit earnings were paid over the years for the validation of catch certificates for fishermen's landings.

Investigators have questioned fisheries protection officer Frans Caruana, whose role includes that of validating catch certificates, as head of the fishing and aquaculture regulation and control unit (FARCU).

The investigation was kicked into action over a report that Caruana had passed on incomplete information to a newly appointed principal fisheries protection officer. Caruana was responsible for endorsing catch certificates for release by customs' officials.

MaltaToday is not suggesting that Caruana is implicated in the investigations, but police have questioned Caruana in the investigation led by Superintendent Paul Vassallo and Inspector Jonathan Ferris from the Economic Crimes Unit.

Prominent fish importers were also interrogated by the police.

Environment minister Leo Brincat was first alerted to the bribery allegations by a top civil servant who had already assessed the evidence, and then instructed the department to refer the matter to the police.

Police are working on an assumption that as much as €800,000 could have been paid in bribes in what was an instutionalised racket. "There may be more than one person involved in the scam. We are still in the preliminary stages of the investigation."

Earlier in the week, Brincat - who is the minister responsible for fisheries - said that what perplexed him was "why and how such scandalous behaviour never surfaced before".