Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/773562
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 15 JANUARY 2017 2 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Yet there are over 400 persons with disability registering for work, with JobsPlus confirming that 349 persons were seeking full-time em- ployment whilst 125 were register- ing for part-time work. Further data provided show that 250 employers have submitted 268 vacancies, with 147 of them being filled; 51 vacancies are currently being processed whilst 70 vacan- cies remained unfilled. It tran- spires that 40 companies stopped the recruitment process whilst 18 opted to change the vacancy. Moreover, there were 12 cases where the qualifications or skills of the persons with disability did not match the employer's requirement or the personal characteristics did not match the employer's expecta- tions. Working conditions, such as hours and shifts, also played a part. "The challenge in placing per- sons with disability in employment is more related to the acceptance that such individuals cannot be productively efficient as 'normal' employees rather than an issue with skills," JobsPlus executive chairperson Clyde Caruana told MaltaToday. Although the relevant law was enacted in 1967, it was only in 2015 that the government moved to enforce the 2% quota. Its lax implementation by employers and the persistently high unemploy- ment rate moved parliament to pass a law setting fines for every disabled person companies should be employing. The fines – or rather the "con- tributions" as JobsPlus calls them – started at €800 for every person, rising to €1,600 per person in 2016 and reaching €2,400 in 2017. The fees are capped at €10,000 per company, and the money gen- erated through them will go to a national fund for the integration of disabled people. In order to support the imple- mentation of the law, the Lino Spiteri Foundation was set up: the public-private partnership helps to match persons with disability with jobs that match their skills. It also aims at supporting disabled em- ployees through job coaches. The Malta Employers Associa- tion had at first urged the govern- ment not to fine companies which fail to recruit persons with a disa- bility, insisting that this would not always be possible due to logistical and technical difficulties. But last year, a memorandum of understanding signed by JobsPLus, the Chamber of Commerce and the Malta Employers Association sought to give impetus to their em- ployment. Based on 13 points, the agree- ment lays out the foundation that will lead to further social inclusion at the place of work. Employers employing a disabled person are exempt from paying the employer's share of social security contribu- tion and are also entitled to claim a fiscal incentive equivalent to 25% of the disabled person's basic wage – up to a maximum of €4,500 for each disabled person. According to the 2015 annual re- port issued by the National Com- mission for Persons with Disabil- ity, there were 16,058 persons with disability in Malta. Those aged between 17 and 59 amounted to 5,475 persons. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 The Malta Independent on Sun- day, which at the time carried the report, had said Ben Nasan told the police he had received an SMS, reading: "Khaled I gave you a warning and this is your last chance if you send any information or present any files or any recordings about me or [name withheld] or [name with- held] or [name withheld] or any- one from the staff of visa unit you will never see your children again." In an earlier police report, Ben Nasan also claimed to have re- ceived anonymous phone calls. This time, the speaker would have allegedly spoken in Maltese: "[If] you are going to say something and give documents and video, you can forget your children." The police investigations con- centrated on the mobile telephony data embedded in the text message and call receipts logged in Ben Na- san's mobile phone, which were then traced to one of seven phones belonging to the Libyan business- man. The extensive data from mobile phone operators showed that the SIM card used on one of several mobile devices was in Ben Nasan's possession. The police are expected to reiter- ate earlier results of their investiga- tion that they did not find incrimi- nating evidence of kickbacks or graft against Neville Gafa, a relative of the Prime Minister. They are expected to present their findings to the Office of the Attorney General in the coming days, which could also include charges against Ben Nasan for fal- sification. The police reports by Ben Nasan were filed during the same time that media reports surfaced, al- leging that Gafa, a health ministry employee had taken money from Libyan nationals seeking medical visas in Malta. Ben Nasan – who in 2015 set up an import-export company called Aurum Tribus – had allegedly served as the middleman between Gafa and Libyan patients seeking a visa to enter Malta. Ben Nasan then came out as a whistleblower in April 2016 when he alleged that Gafa had pocketed around €38,000 from the medical visa applications. The businessman had claimed that Gafa had started a new medical visa application pro- cess through which Libyans would send over their passports in ad- vance and Gafa would charge vary- ing prices. The Malta Independent had claimed that Gafa "personally made between €2 million and €3 million from the racket since it be- gan operating in 2014" – claims de- nied by Gafa, who sued the news- paper for libel. During the course of the inves- tigation, Gafa suspended himself from work. When reports surfaced of the al- leged death threats, the National- ist Party took the government to task over "its failure" to protect Ben Nasan. Opposition leader Si- mon Busuttil had also said that he would hold Prime Minister Joseph Muscat "personally responsible" if something were to happen to Ben Nasan. He had described the situation as "akin to something from a Mafia movie". "If anything were to happen to Ben Nasan or his children, I will hold them [the prime minister, police commissioner and Attorney General] personally responsible," he said. Transcripts purporting to be Viber conversations between Ben Nasan and Gafa showed the busi- nessman chasing Gafa for €38,000, in alleged fees paid by Libyan na- tionals for medical visas that never transpired. Gafa always maintained his in- nocence, insisting that allegations were made by "dubious individu- als". The chargé d'affaires at the Libyan embassy, Habib Moham- med Al-Amin, had told MaltaTo- day that he had heard of rumours surrounding the allegations, "but when we asked for evidence, none transpired". When it was reported in 2016 that the police investigation could not find any incriminating evi- dence against Gafa, PN deputy leader Beppe Fenech Adami called for a reopening of the investiga- tion; when the police asked the At- torney General whether criminal action could be taken against Ben Nasan, Fenech Adami accused the government of using "near fascist tactics". Sunday newspaper Illum had re- ported that Ben Nasan, a Syrian with a Libyan passport, had his residence application refused twice by the Malta Security Service and immigration police. In 2015, Ben Nasan was refused the single permit and, eventually in January 2016, he was also refused a residency permit, ostensibly due to "untrustworthy information" listed in the application. He also failed multiple security checks. Hussein Musrati, the representa- tive of the Tripoli administra- tion in Malta, had told newspaper l-Orizzont that he had his own "doubts" on business cards which Ben Nasan was distributing. "If he were truly a representative of a legal entity, his cards would hold the name of the ministry and a photo of the cardholder," Musrati had told the newspaper. News Threats made from several mobile phones EMPLOYMENT STATISTICS Employers in conformity 486 Employers in breach 575 Disabled persons in employment 2,764 Disabled persons registering for work 474 Pending contributions €1,440,800 Contributions made €442,400 474 persons with disability still seeking employment The extensive data from mobile phone operators showed that the SIM card used on one of several mobile devices was in Ben Nasan's possession There is no evidence Neville Gafa pocketed €38,000 from the medical visa applications