Driving test fraud: ADPD unites with civil society in demanding Ian Borg's resignation

ADPD joined civil society in calling for the immediate resignation of Minister Ian Borg, saying that his position is now compromised and not acceptable.

"The country needs ministers it can trust, who were not involved in criminal practices of vote buying to benefit friends and incompetent people," the Green Party said in a statement on Sunday.

WhatsApp exchanges with a Transport Malta official responsible for overseeing driving examinations reveal that former Transport Minister Ian Borg forwarded a list of test candidates who needed special attention to ensure their success.

The conversations indicate that government officials would simply highlight the names of these candidates to Mansueto. Mansueto would then attempt to assign them a "friendly" driving examiner or expedite their driving test.

The ADPD said this scandal is another attack on the country’s democracy, and another scandal in a chain of scandals.

ADPD also asked the police commissioner to explain why he had not act on the evidence produced by the chats, as revealed by the Times, accusing the police of rendering themselves "a shield to the dirt" in Robert Abela’s cabinet.

In a social media post, ADPD chairperson Sandra Gauci said the country needs to be rebooted and "start from scratch".

Cassola urges Standards Commissioner to investigate Minister Ian Borg

MEP candidate Arnold Cassola has called upon the Standards Commissioner to investigate Minister Ian Borg's involvement in the alleged wrongdoing.

“I urge you to launch an inquiry into the ethical (not to mention criminal) allegations against Minister Ian Borg,” Cassola conveyed to the Commissioner shortly after the scandal came to light.

Cassola contends that the Minister jeopardized the safety of thousands of drivers and pedestrians by recommending and instructing his subordinates to pass candidates who were not capable of passing without his intervention.

"Our country’s reputation is at stake. We cannot permit someone with such corrupt tendencies to guide the nation's foreign policy," Cassola asserted while claiming a significant abuse of power.

On his Facebook, Cassola also accused Prime Minister Robert Abela of being an accomplice with "political robbers within the Labour government."

Adrian Delia: ‘For Abela, people are just votes’

Expressing his dismay, Transport spokesperson Adrian Delia said the scandal marks another wrongdoing by the Labour government within a short span of time, reflecting the "inequality" between people, and even posing a danger to people on the streets.

He pointed out that the revelations made it evident that the government seems to prioritise electoral gains over the safety of its citizens on the roads. 

Delia questioned why Prime Minister Robert Abela has not taken any action to hold responsible parties, such as Borg, accountable for their actions. 

Delia went on to suggest that, in Abela's eyes, people are reduced to mere votes, implying a lack of genuine concern for their well-being.

In a separate Facebook post, PN leader Bernard Grech agreed with Delia when saying that for the PL government, votes were worth more than lives.

"They had told us they wanted to live in a country where one's knowledge was what counted, and not whom one knew... the reports confirm that Robert Abela's government has lost the moral compass," he said.

Grech insisted that the problem is not only the government's, but now the problem is also the country's.

He concluded by promising that under the Nationalist administration, safety on the road is guaranteed and so is a better life for citizens.

More to follow.