Updated | PN wants investigation into unseaworthy RHIBS purchased by Transport Malta

Updated at 7pm with Transport Malta statement

New RHIBS purchased by Transport Malta for its maritime enforcement officers are unusable, the Nationalist Party said, calling for an independent investigation into the matter.

PN maritime spokesperson Ivan Castillo said on Monday the transport authority is forcing its officials to continue using the dinghies despite being declared defective by a surveyor.

He said the authority was doing this to increase the mileage on the boats so that the €500,000 tender cannot be revoked in line with conditions outlined in the contract.

“It is unacceptable for government to continue squandering public funds without shouldering responsibility for its actions and at the same time putting the lives of its officials at risk by forcing them to use these RHIBS,” Castillo said.

The tender is being investigated by the Auditor General but Castillo also called for a separate, internal independent inquiry to determine how many times the tender was issued before the current supplier was chosen, and to find out why the boats continued to be used.

“The PN insists that sea craft that are not sea worthy and do not conform to tender specifications must not be used,” Castillo said, adding that risk assessments of every sea craft used by TM should be carried out.

The five RHIBS were bought in 2021 but only a year later one of them developed problems and had to be scrapped while the other four were certifies by a surveyor to have developed structural damage.

The case was first flagged by independent candidate Arnold Cassola and a subsequent investigation by The Shift found that the boats continued to be used despite the negative assessment.

Transport Malta has since clarified that a formal dispute has been registered with the supplier and no payments have been made.

"The Authority is currently evaluating its options with its legal advisors. This issue is under review by the National Audit Office in collaboration with the Authority."