Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/761508
SAVIOUR BALZAN AN ongoing police investigation in the Foundation for Tomorrow's Schools scandal is focussing on a link between an extensive property in Rabat built by former FTS procurement officer Ed- ward Caruana, and his role in ordering works at schools in Gozo. The estimated worth of the Rabat property stands at around €2 million. Though the police have not yet called Caruana in, they have actively investi- gated the serious discrepancies arising from works not carried out – but paid for by the FTS – at the Nadur and Victo- ria primary schools in Gozo in the sum- mer of 2015. Caruana's property in Rabat was is- sued with a permit in June 2015 and consists of six apartments, a three- bedroom penthouse and a ground floor basement. Notarial searches carried out by Mal- taToday of the last three years indicate that Caruana did not take any bank loans on properties to finance his de- velopment. The searches shows that he only purchased a garage, for the value of around €36,000. The police investigation stems from a report by the former FTS chief execu- tive officer Philip Rizzo, who has alleged irregularities in the way direct orders were given by FTS and who, in email conversations with the education minis- ter, suggested that Caruana did not have enough resources to finance such an ex- pensive investment. Caruana is understood to have been the reference point for the FTS in Gozo, where school staff who spoke to Mal- taToday said that a majority of schools there have received unnecessary stock of school furniture from an Italian com- pany linked to businessman Sandro Ci- liberti. One such example, the sources said, was extra furniture and equipment de- livered to the Sixth Form in Victoria. The deliveries were made by Ciliberti's companies. An FTS tenderer who had complained with Education Minister Evarist Bartolo in April 2015 over procurement says that Ciliberi worked closely with Ed- ward Caruana, a former canvasser and driver of Bartolo. At the Gozo Sixth Form alone, Cilib- erti invoiced over €514,000 through his companies Al-Nibras and Hangman, while the contractor who carried out the project was paid €462,000. In 2015, Xewkija Gozitan contractor Giovann Vella had told Anthony Mus- cat, then CEO of the FTS, that Edward Caruana had asked him for €30,000 so that [Caruana] could request the qual- ity assurance officer to certify the works and release the pending payments. According to The Times, Muscat had reported this to Bartolo on 31 August, 2015. Caruana had then asked the po- lice to institute criminal libel against Giovann Vella. Caruana's brother Joseph, the perma- nent secretary at the Ministry for Edu- cation, had told the court that he had not felt the need to inform the police of any allegations of corruption since his brother had filed a defamation case in court. At the time, Bartolo said he was "moni- toring the situation". Newspaper post maltatoday maltatoday YOUR FIRST READ AND FIRST CLICK OF THE DAY WWW.MALTATODAY.COM.MT FOUNDATION FOR TOMORROW'S SCHOOLS today today SUNDAY • 11 DECEMBER 2016 • ISSUE 892 • PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY 7 Police probe Caruana links between Rabat property and phantom Gozo works PAGE 3 today today SUNDAY • 11 DECEMBER 2016 • ISSUE 892 • PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY today • PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY today €1.40 SMALL BUSINESS ABIGAIL MAMO 'We can't just go and wipe the Paceville slate clean to create space for new investment 14 15 4 'He died like an animal' Migrant's death sheds light on the destitute hidden away from view Cheer up Nicholas! Majority of parents say they want their children to believe in Santa Claus MaltaToday Survey • PGS 10-11 TOOTHLESS AUTHORITY MaltaToday probe finds Environment Authority was overruled almost 70% of the time in the last five weeks SURVEY 7 TOOTHLESS AUTHORITY MaltaToday probe finds Environment Authority was overruled almost 70% of the time in the last five weeks