TM official charged with harassment threatened to throw colleague off Dingli cliffs

Updated at 4pm with Ian Borg reaction  

A court has been told how a Transport Malta employee, charged over the harassment of a female colleague, whom he allegedly threatened to throw off Dingli cliffs, had boasted that he was “the minister’s cousin.”

In a sitting last Tuesday, Magistrate Astrid May Grima was told the woman endured four months of intimidation at the hands of 49-year-old Clifford Micallef.

Testifying in court, the alleged victim said that Micallef had attempted to gain unauthorised access to her computer workstation, sent her flowers unbidden, and had smashed a glass when he saw her speaking to other men.

The harassment is understood to have started in 2017, but reached a head in the months between January and June 2022.

The woman told the court that the accused would boast of being related to Ian Borg, who had been transport minister at the time, claiming to have “great power” at the authority.

“Since he was the minister’s cousin, I was afraid that I would get transferred or lose my job,” she told the court, describing how her repeated complaints about Micallef had been ignored.

In fact, Micallef was subsequently promoted and allocated a company car, she said.

When a senior Transport Malta official had spoken to him about other workplace shortcomings, Micallef had said he would “throw someone off Dingli Cliffs.”

Although he did not name the person he was referring to, “everyone had understood that he was referring to the woman,” due to her reports, the court was told.

Human Resources had received word of the incident and after seeking legal advice had filed a police report.

Micallef was subsequently charged with harassment and causing the woman to fear violence, pleading not guilty.

The case continues next month.

Lawyer Albert Zerafa is defence counsel to Micallef. Lawyer Marita Pace Dimech is representing the victim in the proceedings.

Ian Borg: Justice should be served without delay

Reacting to the report, the former transport minister said he has no support for people who try to get their own way by using someone’s name.

“I am glad the (transport) authority’s management took action to investigate the allegations. If they are true, then I urge the authorities to make sure that justice is served without delay,” he said.