Corruption has been ‘normalised’, ADPD’s Sandra Gauci warns

Corruption has been “normalised”, ADPD Chairperson Sandra Gauci has warned in the wake of Malta’s worst ever ranking in Transparency International’s  corruption index.

She said the index, published earlier this week, confirms that corruption in Malta has reached levels not witnessed before.

The Corruption Perceptions Index 2024 showed that Malta scored 46 points, a decline of five points from the previous year. It now ranks 65th from 180 countries and territories around the world. In 2023, Malta ranked 55th.

The CPI is a leading global indicator of public sector corruption, providing an annual comparative snapshot of 180 countries and territories.

“Corruption has been allowed to grow like a cancer and has now become something that we have got used to. Corruption has become normalised,” Gauci said.

She referred to Bill 125, the magisterial inquiry reform currently being debated in parliament, calling it “a confirmation of the government's desire to put in more obstacles in the quest for justice and transparency”. 

“This is a nail in the coffin of Malta's rule of law,” she said.

Gauci argued that if the bill passes, citizens will have lost an important tool to fight corruption.  

The ADPD chairperson said that if it hadn't been for magisterial inquiries initiated by NGOs and private citizens, Malta would have never learnt about the Vitals scandal.

“With the government so keen to have this law in place, it makes one wonder how many more scandals are waiting to be discovered?”

Gauci said that when ADPD is in parliament it will not only fight these manoeuvres but also propose ways of increasing scrutiny of those in government.