Education minister to make correspondence with former FTS chief public

Education minister Evarist Bartolo, speaking in parliament this evening, read out correspondence between former CEO of the Foundation for Tomorrow’s Schools Philip Rizzo, and himself, in light of accusations that the minister did not take the necessary action upon learning of corruption on the part of Joseph Caruana, his former canvasser.

The minister said that he would be making the correspondence public.

Bartolo read out a number of emails in which he told Rizzo that he will be waiting for a ‘smoking gun’ before taking action against Caruana. He said that when, on the 13 April, Philip Rizzo had told him that he wanted to remove Caruana, he did not stand in his way, and this was proof that he was not trying to protect Caruana.

The minister pointed to an email sent by Rizzo on September 10 as proof that it was only in September that he received the necessary evidence to act against Caruana.

“Nobody thinks you were involved, but now you have a duty to act,” read the email.

He reiterated that he has never protect any company or individual and that he made it clear that everything should be done according to the rule, and that nobody enjoys his protection.

The minister reiterated his belief that had he knowingly allowed corruption to take place, then he would have to shoulder political responsibility.

He said that the fact that he took action - removing Caruana from the Foundation for the Schools of Tomorrow and referring the case to the police - meant that there was no responsibility for him to shoulder

Opposition leader Simon Busuttil said that the Opposition was not informed that a ministerial statement was going to be made. He said that give the extent of the scandal it would have been appropriate for the government to inform the Opposition well in advance.

He said that the accusations being made against Bartolo are serious. He said that Bartolo stands accused of knowing about corruption since April and of hiding the truth for the same period of time. Moreover, he said that the minister was guilty of preventing Philip Rizzo from taking action himself and of protecting Caruana.

The minister’s statement, Busutill said, raises a lot of questions. He questioned how the minister did not think it strange, that a person of trust would go and personally deliver cheques for services. Busuttil also said that the minister found out in June, that there was falsification of documents and still did nothing.

Busuttil said that the opposition does not intend for the issue to go away and expects the minister to shoulder political responsibility.

“The fact that he knew about this since April, if not February, merits the minister shouldering responsibility, especially since the person in question was a canvasser for the minister and was engaged as a person of trust,” said Busuttil.  

Opposition MP Chris Said, referring to a MaltaToday report which revealed that Bartolo had been warned of alleged impropriety back in February 2015, should answer for these allegations and shoulder responsibility.

According to the report, a supplier who had tendered for school furniture had complained that FTS procurement officer Edward Caruana suggested contacting Sandro Ciliberti, a businessman who supplied school furniture. Ciliberti had allegedly boasted that all winners of tenders would have to turn to him because only he had a unique “certification of design” for furniture as specified in the FTS tenders.

Said said that the story showed that the Caruana had a history of corruption and questioned how the minister could allow a situation where tenders are issued that only one bidder can qualify for.