Maritime fines racket: Transport Malta official to be charged

A Transport Malta official within the authority’s Maritime Enforcement Unit (MEU) is expected to be arraigned over a fines racket spanning several years.  

Kenneth Spiteri is set to face charges surrounding his alleged involvement in a corruption scandal linked to maritime fines. He is to be arraigned following an investigation by the Financial Crimes Investigation Department (FCID). 

Speaking to MaltaToday through his lawyers Franco Debono and Marion Camilleri, Spiteri denied any wrongdoing. 

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

Sources who spoke to this newspaper said that Spiteri is still employed as a TM official, although he has been on sick leave for a number of months. The authority would not confirm Spiteri’s status within TM. 

In its reply to this newspaper’s questions, TM also remained silent on whether it had addressed its manual maritime fine system which was vulnerable to abuse. 

“The Authority fully cooperates with the relevant authorities, including the Malta Police Force, to ensure that any cases where there may have been a breach of the law are handled through the appropriate channels and in accordance with due process,” a spokesperson said. 

Longstanding claims of abuse within maritime unit 

In 2024, MaltaToday revealed that senior TM officials were involved in a corruption racket in which they dropped maritime fines after pocketing money from contraveners. 

At the time, the MEU issued fines through hand-written documents which would be kept solely by officials. Sources within the authority had told MaltaToday that before certain infringement proceedings find their way to court, a TM official would approach the defendant and ask for a bribe that is significantly lower than the minimum fine they would otherwise incur.  

The unit’s fine system was in such disarray that in 2021, at least 59% of its issued fines were “lost”, while several fines levied by the MEU in 2022 and 2023 were never mailed to the offenders within the legally mandated time frame. 

An internal TM investigation into the missing and tampered fines was concluded and sent to the police in 2024. 

MaltaToday understands that the FCID’s investigation was initiated on the basis of the transport authority’s findings.