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Terms and conditions apply. 2132 2102 helpdesk@easisave.com www.easisave.com 2132 2102 2132 2102 No Hidden Fees or Bank Charges Easy, Flexible and Secure Visit our website, open your online bank account and start beneting from superior interest rates on your savings and xed term deposit accounts. 3 year: 3.00% 2 year: 2.85% 1 year: 2.50% Euro Fixed Term Deposit Minimum Deposit €1,000 Rates of interest are on a gross per annum basis Euro Savings Account Minimum Deposit €50 1.75 % YOUR FIRST READ AND FIRST CLICK OF THE DAY WWW.MALTATODAY.COM.MT SUNDAY • 15 MARCH 2015 • ISSUE 801 • PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY The Circle of Life PG 13 Autumn sees most births and fewer deaths Top official told to retire after alerting Gonzi about ministry interference SAVIOUR BALZAN FRANK Psaila, the senior civil serv- ant in Gozo until 2005, was asked to retire by then Prime Minister Law- rence Gonzi after Psaila reported to him serious interference by former Minister Giovanna Debono's private secretariat in the workings of the civil service. The latest revelation comes a week after MaltaToday revealed the role of Debono's husband in arranging free construction works for Gozitan con- stituents, which were then paid for from the Gozo budget vote. Gonzi's request to Psaila to retire was conveyed to him by Godwin Gri- ma, head of the civil service. Psaila was not remorseful at having made his stand. "Your request," he wrote again to Gonzi, "makes me a proud public officer and a proud Gozitan." Frank Psaila was the permanent secretary at the Gozo Ministry until 2005. In his letter, which is being pub- lished in MaltaToday in its entirety, he catalogues widespread instances of political interference in the run- ning of the civil service in Gozo. Some weeks after the first letter was sent, Psaila had a meeting with God- win Grima, the Principal Permanent Secretary, who conveyed to him the Prime Minister's request that Psaila would retire on reaching 60 years, citing incompatibility with Giovanna Debono, his minister. In his first letter, dated 18 March, 2005, detailing irregular political in- terference, Psaila informs the Prime Minister that a large number of work- ers had been transferred to jobs where there was either insufficient work for them to do, or no work at all. There were workers doing work far below their grade. He also points out that the transfers of workers in Gozo were being made at the expense of the civil service, and added that the transfers had created serious problems within government departments in Gozo. Claudio Grech INTERVIEW PGS 14-15 Claudio Grech INTERVIEW Rethinking politics The Circle of Life PG 13 sees most births and fewer deaths SOCAR chooses Malta for tax purposes PG 4 MATTHEW AGIUS A case involving a Nigerian inmate who had filed a judicial protest last April, claiming to have been sin- gled out for mistreatment after he complained about prison food, has highlighted allegations of wide- spread theft of foreign inmates' belongings from prison. Joseph Feilazoo, who is serving a 12-year sentence for drug traf- ficking, filed his protest in April, when he claimed that the morning after he had complained about the food, he was abruptly woken up by prison guards at 6:30am. He said he was taken to another room, cavity-searched and humil- iated, being given only his under- wear – because a doctor had in- formed him that he was a suicide risk and had been heard saying he wanted to kill himself (which Feilazoo strongly denied) – and a blanket which "stank of urine," before being transferred to a cold room. MATTHEW VELLA OPPOSITION leader Simon Busuttil has not yet been given concrete details of new citizens who have purchased a Maltese passport under the Individual Investor Programme. The IIP, which sells Maltese passports for €650,000 apart from other residency and in- vestment requirements, remains a source of con- troversy for the secrecy surrounding the new citi- zens who want free move- ment across the EU and visa-free travel to the United States. Busuttil, who has vowed to publish the names of IIP passport holders, has however not yet laid his hands on the information despite a recent report by the regulator indi- cating that there have been over 450 applicants. "The Prime Minister should keep his promise on transparency with regard to the IIP programme. Whilst a number of meetings were held, no concrete details have been given," Busuttil, who sits on a monitor- ing committee of the IIP with Joseph Mus- cat, told MaltaToday. A government member who spoke to this newspaper said that the first list of citizens that will include holders of the 'golden passport' can be expected in 2015, since the IIP started in 2014 and applicants are granted citi- zenship after 12 months of residency. The amended Maltese Citizenship Act no longer binds the home affairs minister to publish in the Government Gazette the names of all naturalised citizens every three months. That im- portant clause, which guaranteed some form of transparency on citizenship, was expunged by a new clause setting up the regulator of the IIP. But a legal notice that sets down the rules for the IIP says the minister has to publish an annual list of all those granted Maltese citizenship. Allegations of thefts of inmates' belongings IIP applicants: Opposition still in the dark CONTINUES BACK PAGE CONTINUES PAGE 10 CONTINUES PAGE 7 maltatoday €1.40 Ruth Borg speaks about her biggest acting challenge This Week Giovanna Debono: incompatibilities between her and her permanent secretary UNJONI EWROPEA MALTA PASSAPORT