Labour Party denies link to driving test corruption scandal

The Labour Party has denied referring candidates for preferential treatment during driving tests in the wake of a corruption scandal that has rocked Transport Malta. 

“There are no pending proceedings or charges against any Partit Laburista official,” a spokesperson said when asked whether the party denies that any of its officials are linked to the scandal. 

The party has also denied having an organised system of passing on names of candidates waiting to undergo a driving test to Transport Malta officials. “The answer is a categorical no,” the spokesperson replied. 

On Monday, three Transport Malta officials were charged with corruption in an alleged racket concerning driving tests - Transport Malta director for the Land Transport Directorate Clint Mansueto, former Żebbuġ Labour councillor Philip Edrick Zammit and Raul Antonio Pace. They pleaded not guilty to charges brought against them. 

The court heard how a police search of the accused’s phones revealed chats with people linked to ‘a political party’ supplying information about candidates who were to pass their driving test. 

The political party was not mentioned in court but it is plausible to conclude that the reference was to the Labour Party given the Zammit link and the fact that Mansueto was close to an individual with known links to former transport minister Ian Borg. 

Borg, who is now foreign minister, has denied pressuring Transport Malta officials to make sure certain candidates pass their driving tests. 

Under police questioning, Mansueto told police that he was pressured by a minister, who was not named in court, into helping certain individuals pass their driving test. The individuals allegedly were working on the minister’s villa. 

Investigators seized diaries for 2021 and 2022, belonging to Mansueto which contained around 250 names. Police are matching those names with text messages and other information to determine whether they were all granted preferential treatment. 

Times of Malta yesterday reported that most of the names were listed as "appointments" but in certain cases, the names, ID cards and dates corresponded precisely with the date the individuals sat, and passed their driving exam. 

The three TM employees have meanwhile been suspended on half-pay until court proceedings are over. 

“Employees charged in court are suspended. Transport Malta continuously works to improve its procedures,” a spokesperson for the authority told MaltaToday. 

On Monday, MaltaToday separately asked Prime Minister Robert Abela whether he is seeking any clarifications from his current cabinet of ministers on the matter. 

“The Office of the Prime Minister is not aware of any charges having been issued against any government minister, or of any pending judicial proceedings,” a spokesperson said.

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