University rector Juanito Camilleri likely to be reappointed by council

Sources said Camilleri, a former chief executive of telecoms company Melita plc, had informed Univeristy council members he had been head-hunted. "The council appears unanimous in reappointing him to his position, especially since it learnt that he was being head-hunted by high-profile companies," a source said.

Camilleri built his career in the burgeoning Maltese telecommunications industry as founding CEO of Go Mobile. His appointment as university rector in 2006, only months after being appointed CEO at Melita, was designed to push university towards a more industry-driven institution and to increase the number of graduates in the sciences.

A Trinity College graduate, where he completed a doctorate in computer science, in 1992 he founded the university’s department of computer science. Subsequently he sat on the board of directions of Enemalta, the Malta Development Corporation, Maltacom and the Malta Information Technology and Training Services Ltd (MITTS).

But in 2010 he attracted notoriety by reporting author Alex Vella Gera to the police for the short story Li Tkisser Sewwi on a university pamphlet. The police filed obscenity charges against Vella Gera and university student and publisher Mark Camilleri. Juanito Camilleri stood by his actions, saying the university would have been open to legal prosecution by allowing obscene material on campus.