Senior official admits to buying fuel for his private boat and billing Transport Malta

A senior Transport Malta official has admitted to buying fuel for his private boat while billing the authority, MaltaToday has learnt. 

The fraudulent fuel purchases were made from a marine fuel pump in Mġarr, Gozo with the individual declaring that the fuel was for the Maritime Enforcement Unit. This newspaper understands that the official who has admitted to the accusations is one of two senior officials involved in this fraudulent behaviour. 

When contacted by MaltaToday for comment, the official said he had nothing to say. 

Sources at Transport Malta, who chose to remain anonymous, told MaltaToday that last January, MEU enforcement officers were told to refrain from refuelling the unit’s vessels. 

Described as a “strange order”, sources said the reason was the discovery of several fuel receipts issued to the authority on fuel which its officers had not bought. The incident was flagged following the discovery that the fuel bought was diesel, when all MEU vessels use petrol instead. 

The sources said investigations led the police to recommend the suspension of at least four of the authority’s officials suspected to have been involved in this racket. It is unclear at what stage this investigation has arrived.

MaltaToday understands that TM had initiated an internal investigation into the incident. 

On Friday, independent MEP candidate Arnold Cassola wrote that two TM officials are suspected to have been involved in the theft of fuel. He alleged the fraud came to light when TM received an unexpected bill of €850 for diesel, a fuel not used by the MEU section. 

In a two-sentence statement Transport Malta denied Cassola's allegations, calling them “unfounded and false.” 

The authority said that it never received an €850 receipt after its finance department examined the claims.  

Despite this, following MaltaToday’s report of the allegations, the police have requested more information on the case. 

Questions sent by MaltaToday remained unanswered with a spokesperson referring this newspaper to the public reply given to Cassola. 

The authority is refusing to say what the terms of reference of the internal investigation are and who is conducting it. It is also refusing to say whether it plans to suspend the four officials flagged by the police and will not divulge the amount of money it was defrauded. 

The Maritime Enforcement Unit is no stranger to scandal. Last March, this newspaper revealed that TM officials are being investigated over a corruption racket in which they allegedly drop maritime fines after pocketing money from boaters. 

In one case, the unit ‘lost’ more than half of the fines issued in a year and in a separate case an official would amend fines before court hearings to lower the degree of gravity.

READ ALSO: Transport Malta officials at centre of maritime fines corruption racket