Top official told to retire after alerting Gonzi about ministry interference

Frank Psaila, the senior civil servant in Gozo until 2005, was asked to retire by then Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi after Psaila reported to him serious interference by former Minister Giovanna Debono’s private secretariat in the workings of the civil service.

The latest revelation comes a week after MaltaToday revealed the role of Debono’s husband in arranging free construction works for Gozitan constituents, which were then paid for from the Gozo budget vote.

Gonzi’s request to Psaila to retire was conveyed to him by Godwin Grima, head of the civil service. Psaila was not remorseful at having made his stand. “Your request,” he wrote again to Gonzi, “makes me a proud public officer and a proud Gozitan.”

Frank Psaila was the permanent secretary at the Gozo Ministry until 2005. In his letter, which is being published in MaltaToday in its entirety, he catalogues widespread instances of political interference in the running of the civil service in Gozo. 

Some weeks after the first letter was sent, Psaila had a meeting with Godwin Grima, the Principal Permanent Secretary, who conveyed to him the Prime Minister’s request that Psaila would retire on reaching 60 years, citing incompatibility with Giovanna Debono, his minister.

In his first letter, dated 18 March, 2005, detailing irregular political interference, Psaila informs the Prime Minister that a large number of workers had been transferred to jobs where there was either insufficient work for them to do, or no work at all. There were workers doing work far below their grade.

He also points out that the transfers of workers in Gozo were being made at the expense of the civil service, and added that the transfers had created serious problems within government departments in Gozo.

Psaila wrote that the orders came directly from the private secretariat of the Gozo minister and there were also instances where those on sick leave were afforded protection by the same secretariat.

He continued saying that the interference did not stop there: members of selection boards were facing so much pressure that ministry employees tried to avoid being members of such boards, so much so that the Public Service Commission had asked for his opinion about what the reasons could be. 

In blunt phraseology, he wrote: “So strong is the interference that everyone was being declared not guilty.” 

Psaila explains in detail that he had to ask for the director of internal audit to look into the procedures followed by the discipline board.

Turning to overtime and allowances, Psaila wrote that workers were being paid for overtime which they had not done, and given allowances without justification.

Finally Psaila ends his letter to Lawrence Gonzi by stating that: “I am trying to do my very best not to allow the Gozo ministry to collapse and the civil service to become helpless and lose the respect of the public who expect us to serve. I have been warning that this intervention without justification should stop.

“I ask you with all respect to intervene to stop all this, which is undermining all that we are here for.

“I am asking you because I do not have the power to act.”

On 16 June, three months after he sent his first letter, Frank Psaila wrote again to the Prime Minister.

He referred to the meeting with Godwin Grima:  “Yesterday I had a meeting with Dr Godwin Grima, Principal Permanent Secretary, who told me that he was asked to convey your request that I retire on reaching age 60. The reason given for this is that there is incompatibility between my Minister and me.”

After pointing out what he saw as incompatible, Psaila concludes:  “…your request that I retire makes me a proud public officer and a proud Gozitan.  So I have no qualms whatsoever to accede to your request and hereby ask to retire from the Service on reaching 60 on the 16th October, 2005.”

When contacted by MaltaToday, Grima confirmed that such a meeting had taken place.

“The Prime Minister had told me to inform Psaila of his resignation, and I recall Psaila telling me that he will be putting pen to paper and writing to the Prime Minister as to why he felt he was being unjustly removed from his position,” he said.

Grima added that he did not recall ever seeing or hearing about the first letter that Psaila had sent Gonzi.

Giovanna Debono could not be contacted.

Frank Psaila would not comment when contacted.