Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/926403
maltatoday SUNDAY 14 JANUARY 2018 News 7 judicial appointments council set up by the Constitution. The Prime Minister does have the final say but the council carries out a vet- ting process and makes its recom- mendations. Further reform of the system could be contemplated but although constitutional reform has returned to the political vo- cabulary after Daphne Caruana Galizia's murder, it remains un- clear what the government has in mind. An attempt to create a con- stitutional convention in the last legislature failed to take off. Split the AG office Report: "Reform the Attorney General functions, to decouple the role of advisory to the government from the role of prosecution." What it means: MEPs feel the dual role the Attorney General plays in the Maltese legal set up posits a conflict. Where to go: This recommen- dation had been made by former MP Franco Debono in the last Nationalist Party legislature be- tween 2008 and 2013 but ignored by the government at the time. It was again reiterated by the Bonello Commission in a wide-ranging re- port on judicial reform in 2013. It remains unclear what the govern- ment's position on this recom- mendation is but any such change will necessitate constitutional re- form. Choosing the police chief Report: "The Police Commis- sioner should no longer be ap- pointed by the Prime Minister but by an appropriate independent body. Similarly, the veto power of the Prime Minister should no longer exist regarding the nomina- tion of the Maltese Chief Justice." What it means: Reading through the report shows MEPs were not impressed by what Police Com- missioner Lawrence Cutajar told them. The failure to adequately justify why the police did not in- vestigate key government people following the Panama Papers rev- elations and the publication of leaked FIAU reports did not go amiss with MEPs. However, the report was careful not to call for Cutajar's resignation, which has been the rallying call of civil soci- ety groups in the wake of Caruana Galizia's murder. What the report suggests is removing the Prime Minister's influence in the ap- pointment of the police chief and putting this function in the hands of "an independent body". MEPs also took care not to define what type of body they had in mind, ful- ly aware that how police chiefs are selected is a national competence that is exercised in different ways among EU member states. Where to go: MEPs did not en- dorse the PN's stand to have the police commissioner appointed by a two-thirds parliamentary ma- jority, opting for a non-committal 'independent body'. The govern- ment has been reluctant to even acknowledge the need to change the system by which the police commissioner is appointed and how to ensure the police's inde- pendence. The police force has for long been subjected to politi- cal influence – whether direct or indirect – and few believe this will change anytime in the near future. The quest for change may crop up in constitutional reform, if this gets off the ground. Whistleblowing Report: "The Whistleblower Pro- tection Act should be revised to cover workers in the public sector. Mr Ferris should be granted police protection and serious considera- tion should be given to his appli- cation for protection under the Whistleblower Protection Act." What it means: The first obser- vation is a suggestion to improve the law, which was enacted by par- liament in 2013 when the Labour Party came to power. The second observation adds pressure on the government to offer protection to sacked FIAU officer Jonathan Fer- ris in the wake of repeated state- ments he has made fearing for his life after threatening to reveal all about money laundering investi- gations he carried out on people in government. MEPs are also piling pressure on government to ensure Ferris's application for Whistle- blower protection is acceded to. Where to go: The process by which Ferris could be granted Whistleblower protection is dic- tated by law but he may face a tricky situation. Ferris's former employment in an investigative authority and the involvement of the Attorney General, who chairs the FIAU – the unit against which Ferris has filed an unfair dismissal claim – could complicate matters. What Ferris wants to do with the information he has remains un- clear. He has said that six people close to him have been entrusted to publish all information in his possession if he is killed. The ex- tent of the information Ferris claims to have and how damning it may be is unknown. His former employment at the FIAU pre- cludes him from divulging any in- formation that may have come his way, which poses another compli- cation. So far, Ferris has played a waiting game and is very likely go- ing to continue doing so until his legal standing is clarified. Cash for passports Report: "The Maltese govern- ment should separately publish the list of persons being granted Maltese citizenship under the In- dividual Investment Programme and should start an independent assessment of this programme and of the anti-money laundering pro- cedures applied to it." What it means: MEPs have reit- erated their concerns about Mal- ta's sale of passports to wealthy foreigners but the recommenda- tion stops short of calling for the scheme's removal. Where to go: MEPs who had strongly criticised Malta's pass- port scheme in a plenary session in 2014 are fully aware that Malta is within its sovereign rights to sell citizenship the way it does. After all, Malta also obtained the European Commission's endorse- ment in the wake of the European Parliament's criticism four years ago. But MEPs have highlighted an important aspect that many in Malta have harped on – the publi- cation of a distinct list of names of foreigners who purchased citizen- ship. Today, those names are in- termingled with those of natural- ised citizens in a bid to hide their identity. It is unlikely the govern- ment will yield to these demands, even if names of Malta's new citi- zens have been outed by an obser- vant media. Special corruption unit Report: "The Maltese govern- ment should start an action pro- gramme against corruption and financial crime and increase the number of investigations and prosecutions. This should include special units in police and judi- ciary with sufficient and highly qualified staff." What it means: MEPs realised that Malta's ability to fight white collar crimes is limited by the dearth of human resources, apart from lack of political will. Where to go: Hardly anyone could object to such a recommen- dation but there has been nothing yet to suggest that the police will be beefed up with highly qualified staff to probe financial crime. Election probe Report: "An investigation is needed over the alleged influence of elections through increased hir- ings in the public sector, issuance of construction permits and regu- larisations of irregular construc- tions, as well as pay increases and promotions in the military." What it means: MEPs took on board the early criticism made by the PN soon after the election that tried to blame the massive election defeat on alleged political patronage. While the use of pa- tronage is well known, an election victory of such a magnitude like last year's can hardly be explained only on the basis of favours ren- dered to disgruntled voters. Call- ing for an investigation is as far as MEPs could arrive, even though their stand displays a lack of his- toric awareness on how political patronage has been dispensed in Malta. Where to go: No investigation will be held and it remains unclear whether politicians will entertain legal changes to have a set elec- toral date and a public sector re- cruitment freeze in the run-up to national elections. Career Opportuni�es OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER AUBERGE DE CASTILLE, TRIQ SAN PAWL, VALLETTA, MALTA (1) Senior Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) Systems Coordinator Jobsplus Permit Number: 645/2017 (1) Senior IT Security and Compliance Manager Jobsplus Permit Number: 646/2017 Objec�ve of the role: The ideal candidate will be required to support & coordinate large scale projects for na�onal PKI systems. The PKI coordinator should have an advanced understanding of the principles of cer�fica�on authori�es, e-ID schemes, informa�on security policies & standards. Responsibili�es: • Adhere to the Cer�ficate authority polices, prac�ce statements & EU regula�ons. • Ensure maintenance of all relevant documenta�on with the solu�ons provider. • Keeping abreast with technical and strategic developments and trends within the ICT industry and Specific business area/s. • Monitor technological and opera�onal changes to IT systems ac�vi�es accordingly. • Analyze PKI technology industry and market trends, assess impact of emerging security threats. • Contribute to the technical direc�on on all areas of PKI architecture (policies, conformity, standards, strategies and governance). • Conduct risk assessment and Incident mi�ga�on. • Repor�ng on security issues, audits, project assignments and monitoring of third party opera�ons. Qualifica�ons and Experience required: • A minimum of 5 years experience in an ICT management/security posi�on, in possession of a valid Microso� Cer�fied Systems Engineer/Expert (MCSE) cer�fica�on OR a minimum of 3 years experience in an ICT security field in possession of a valid CISSP cer�fica�on OR in possession of a recognized qualifica�on at MQF Level 6 in Compu�ng and (2) years relevant work experience in an ICT management/security related field. • Experience with PKI-based products & common protocols. • Experience in areas such as iden�ty management, cer�fica�on & governance. • Experience in the implementa�on and review of policies and procedures. • Excellent wri�en, verbal, interpersonal business and technical communica�on skills. Objec�ve of the role: The deal candidate will be required to oversee the IT compliance and governance func�ons that are responsible for tes�ng, documen�ng, evalua�ng, remedia�ng and improving regulatory controls and processes for effec�veness and opera�onal efficiency. Responsibili�es: • Design enhancement for internal controls such as segrega�on of du�es, produc�on change management, compliance, network security, incident handling & risk assessment. • Managing ISO, security compliance cer�fica�ons and industry standards. • Review and update exis�ng documenta�on, including Internal Control Standards, to meet regulatory requirements and ensure business processes, policies and procedures are effec�ve and sustainable. • Conduct regular Informa�on Security Risk Assessments, including interviews of applicable stakeholders ensuring appropriate security controls are in place to mi�gate risks. • Managing vulnerability scanning, penetra�on tes�ng, coordina�ng with external vendor conduc�ng tests, and coordina�ng all remedia�on and priori�za�on ac�vi�es. • Monitor regulatory risk assessments performed on business and opera�onal processes, procedures and policies, providing recommenda�on for mi�ga�on or remedia�on. Qualifica�ons and Experience required: • A minimum of 5 years experience in an ICT management/security posi�on and in possession of a valid Microso� Cer�fied Systems Engineer/Expert (MCSE) cer�fica�on OR A minimum of 3 years experience in an ICT security field in possession of a valid CISSP cer�fica�on OR In possession of a recognized qualifica�on at MQF Level 6 in Compu�ng and (2) years' relevant work experience in an ICT management/security related field. • Hands-on experience with CISCO firewalls, routers & switches. • Experience in tes�ng, evalua�ng, and documen�ng controls of compliance. • Advanced knowledge on secure transport protocols, secure authoriza�on protocols & cer�fica- �on authori�es. • Proficiency in vulnerability assessments, penetra�on and intrusion detec�on tools. Interested persons are to send a covering le�er together with a detailed Curriculum Vitae by not later than 31st January 2018, addressed to the Chief Officer Human Resources, Iden�ty Malta Agency, ONDA Building, Aldo Moro Road, Marsa. Applica�ons may also be sent by email to recruitment@iden�tymalta.com. Iden�ty Malta is a government Agency established through Legal No�ce LN269 of 2013. Web: www.iden�tymalta.com /Passports