Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1531934
3 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 29 JANUARY 2025 NEWS NICOLE MEILAK nmeilak@mediatoday.com.mt THOMAS CILIA tcilia@mediatoday.com.mt FORMER police sergeant Cherise Camilleri and Ruud Buhagiar were granted bail on Tuesday after they were charged separately in Novem- ber with various offences of a serious nature, including the leaking of internal information about drug-related raids. Camilleri, a 28-year-old wom- an from Qormi, stands accused of leaking information related to police operations to third parties. Buhagiar, a 30-year- old man from Birżebbuġa, is accused of bribing a police ser- geant to obtain sensitive infor- mation about ongoing police operations. During Tuesday's sittings, both Camilleri and Buhagiar were granted bail under nu- merous conditions, including a €20,000 deposit and a person- al guarantee of €100,000. The bail book must also be signed twice daily. Inspectors Christina Delia and Lydon Zammit are pros- ecuting with the assistance of lawyers Maria Francesca Spi- teri and Kevin Valletta from the Office of the Attorney General. Lawyers Arthur Azzopardi and Frank Tabone are appear- ing for Camilleri. Lawyers Alfred Abela and Rene Darmanin are appearing for Buhagiar. Insets: Ruud Buhagiar and Cherise Camilleri Police sergeant, gym owner granted bail in case on leaks about police raids THE Nationalist Party is accusing Trans- port Malta of discriminating between workers and breaching the collective agreement governing employee rights at the authority, while Transport Malta de- nies all allegations. During a press conference on Tuesday, PN shadow ministers Mark Anthony Sammut and Ivan Castillo said the au- thority's management is undermining worker rights and creating systemic in- justices. According to them, workers who have been employed at Transport Malta since before 2013, when it was the Authority for Transport, have faced difficulties ac- cessing pre-retirement leave promised under the last collective agreement. Many nearing retirement told the PN their en- titlements are being reduced or withheld entirely. The PN suggests that the author- ity lost workers' records. They also accused the authority of dis- crepancies in qualification requirements across vacancy calls. For example, a cler- ical position required six O Levels and an ECDL qualification, yet an executive position – four grades higher – required only five years of office experience. The PN said internal calls for assistant manager positions have violated the col- lective agreement stipulation that appli- cants must have five years of executive ex- perience. Instead, calls have been issued with varying requirements, sometimes as little as two or three years of experience, and inconsistent demands for degrees. Meanwhile, higher-level roles such as director positions with salaries exceeding that of the prime minister, often lack rig- orous qualification requirements. Some calls required only experience without formal qualifications, while others de- manded advanced degrees. Sammut said the authority has been co-opted into serving partisan political interests at the expense of its workers and the integrity of its operations. Castillo said the authority is violating Legal Notice 128, which mandates equal pay and opportunity for contractor em- ployees performing the same work as directly employed staff. Despite being required to inform contractor employees of vacancies and give them equal chances at permanent roles, the Authority has al- legedly refused their applications in many cases. They promised that a new Nationalist government would overhaul the author- ity, introducing reforms to restore fair- ness, transparency, and competency to its operations. Transport Malta denies all allegations The authority rejected all accusations made by the Nationalist Party about dis- crimination or breach of employment laws, including the equal pay for equal work law. It also said it does not engage in partisan issues vand is disappointed that it was the subject of a partisan press con- ference. "In 2024, Transport Malta concluded collective agreements that significantly improved employee conditions, as well as reinforced the right of everyone within the authority to be treated equally. This is also reflected in the working conditions and wages of contractor employees," the authority said in a statement. "It is evident that the spokespersons are uninformed about the ongoing reforms, including the processes for internal and external interviews, which ensure fairness in promotions and new employment op- portunities within the authority." Transport Malta accused of discrimination and breaching worker rights; authority denies claims PN shadow ministers Ivan Castillo (left) and Mark Anthony Sammut (right) address a press conference outside Transport Malta's offices in Lija (Photo: Partit Nazzjonalista)