Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/361046
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 10 AUGUST 2014 13 which had been started by Falzon were handed over to the new com- missioner. "The approach may be different, some may say one is more proactive than the other but my role is not to express judgments but to provide all the necessary support. I do not inter- vene in any decisions taken by the commissioners. I respect their inde- pendence." One advantage of the new system is that different commissioners are collaborating in combining their ex- pertise. One such joint investigation is being conducted by the health and the planning commissioners on the issue of sewage spillage on agricul- tural land. "We could only do this in such a set up where we can rely on the compe- tence and expertise of different com- missioners." Said Pullicino also thinks that other areas should fall under the scrutiny of specialised commissioners. Two areas which he identifies are con- sumer affairs and security forces which include the army, the police and detention services. The need for these new commis- sioners was already felt by the pre- vious administration but progress on this matter was interrupted by the general elections. He notes that similar structures of scrutiny exist in other countries and the need is justi- fied by the specific nature of places falling under security forces. Said Pullicino has also answered a call made by the Office of the Prime Minister to submit suggestions on how to implement the PL's electoral promise to strengthen the office of the ombudsman. A detailed report has been presented by the Office of the Ombudsman. Said Pullicino disagrees with the perception that people lodging com- plaints with the ombudsman do not get any real redress except for moral vindication. "This is a false perception… Of eve- ry 100 cases, 50 complaints are jus- tified and among these 40 cases are redressed… Most of the work we do here is not decisions and reports but negotiating how to seek redress from departments…" One clear example of this is the damage caused to cars because of the state of public roads. "We are not entirely satisfied but together with Transport Malta we have created a system through which car owners can seek financial re- dress… It was very difficult to per- suade Transport Malta to acknowl- edge reasonability… We are not here simply to address complaints but to create structures through which citi- zens can get redress." Said Pullicino's term will expire in a year and a half. He speaks with the serenity of someone who has given his full contribution to the institu- tion he represents. "I made a difference because I hailed from a different background and had a different approach than my predecessor… The same would apply to my successor who will bring with him a different approach…But all in all this institution has had a positive impact on the country…It gave the citizen the avenue to direct complaints against the administra- tion. "One of the greatest satisfactions for citizens who lodge a complaint is that of knowing what is written about them in official files. Even if they are wrong they generally appreciate that we can tell them what happened. This is a good percentage of our work. " Interview Dealing with power, good governance and maladministration – all in a day's work for Chief Justice emeritus Joseph Said Pullicino as the Ombudsman encounters new stumbling blocks in dealing with a new administration good governance PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRIS MANGION