Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/958047
maltatoday SUNDAY 25 MARCH 2018 News 5 MATTHEW AGIUS FORMER Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit official Jonathan Ferris has not qualified for official whistleblower protection because he had "failed to act in line with the dispositions of Protection of the Whistleblower Act", the External Whistleblower Unit officer Philip Massa has claimed. Ferris had filed a judicial pro- test two weeks ago against Massa, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, the Minister for Justice Owen Bonnici and the Attorney General, saying the Unit had repeatedly moved the goalposts to derail his application for whistleblower protection. He has repeatedly accused the government of failing to grant him whistleblower status, despite what he says were clear assurances by Muscat and Bonnici to the Euro- pean Parliament. Ferris, a former police inspector with the Economic Crimes Unit, was fired from a new post at the FIAU not long after joining the unit. He had been in his post less than six months and had his con- tract terminated after the June 2017 election. Ferris claims this happened be- cause he "dug too deep" in his investigations into allegations of government corruption – ostensi- bly, but not yet verified, the move- ment of monies connected to the LNG tanker commissioned for the Delimara power plant – and insists the termination of his employment was illegal and abusive, and the re- sult of ministerial interference. He had later filed a case before the Industrial Tribunal, arguing unfair dismissal and in January, had filed a judicial protest against the Attorney General, demand- ing whistleblower status which he claims was being unreasonably withheld. He had been asked by an Office of the Prime Minister unit to disclose all information he had before actually being granted whistleblower status. But in a counter-protest filed last week, both the Prime Minister and Bonnici denied being the appropri- ate defendants in the matter, while Massa simply said that Ferris did not qualify for protection. Contacted for their views, Ferris's legal team expressed polite disdain for the government's repetition of their stonewalling tactics, in direct contrast to the way they had spo- ken to the MEPs. "Mr Ferris will not be stopping here," they promised. Activists from the Civil Society Network issued a statement con- demning with no reservations the External Whistleblower Unit's de- cision to not grant whistleblower status to Ferris. Expressing its solidarity with the former FIAU official, CSN said it believed the decision to be more proof that Malta's public authori- ties "do not want to shed light on the grave allegations of criminal offences committed over the past years concerning members of the Maltese government and individu- als associated to it." It regretfully noted that, more than ever before, an "institutional- ised omertà" exists in Malta. "CSN believes that this decision regarding Ferris shows that the claims made by the Prime Minis- ter in the days following the mur- der of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia are absolutely not cred- ible," it said. "On the contrary, the news of the arrest of the owner of Pilatus Bank in the United States in these past days, as well as of the investigation of an employee of the office of the Prime Minister regarding theft from Daph- ne Caruana Galizia's memorial, shows that there is a great attempt not only to brush off allegations of serious crimes but to cancel Daphne Caruana Galizia's memory." "The Maltese public deserves better than this," it added. magius@mediatoday.com.mt 䄀瀀瀀氀椀挀愀渀琀猀 猀栀漀甀氀搀 戀攀 椀渀 瀀漀猀猀攀猀猀椀漀渀 漀昀 愀 ǻ爀猀琀 搀攀最爀攀攀 猀瀀攀挀椀愀氀椀稀愀琀椀漀渀 椀渀 䌀椀瘀椀氀 愀渀搀⼀漀爀 猀琀爀甀挀琀甀爀愀氀 攀渀最椀渀攀攀爀椀渀最 漀爀 攀焀甀椀瘀愀氀攀渀琀⸀ 䌀愀渀搀椀搀愀琀攀猀 猀栀愀氀氀 栀愀瘀攀 愀 洀椀渀椀洀甀洀 漀昀 琀栀爀攀攀 礀攀愀爀猀ᤠ 攀砀瀀攀爀椀攀渀挀攀 椀渀 愀 猀椀洀椀氀愀爀 瀀漀猀椀琀椀漀渀 愀氀猀漀 椀渀 洀愀渀愀最攀洀攀渀琀 漀昀 氀愀爀最攀 椀渀搀甀猀琀爀椀愀氀 挀漀渀猀琀爀甀挀琀椀漀渀 猀椀琀攀猀 愀渀搀 瀀爀漀樀攀挀琀猀⸀ 䬀渀漀眀氀攀搀最攀 漀昀 䴀椀挀爀漀猀漀昀琀 倀爀漀樀攀挀琀 椀猀 挀漀渀猀椀搀攀爀攀搀 愀渀 愀猀猀攀琀 愀渀搀 瀀爀漀ǻ挀椀攀渀挀礀 椀渀 䄀䌀䄀䐀 椀猀 愀 洀甀猀琀⸀ 䄀瀀瀀氀椀挀愀渀琀猀 洀甀猀琀 欀渀漀眀 栀漀眀 琀漀 䤀渀琀攀爀瀀爀攀琀 戀氀甀攀瀀爀椀渀琀猀Ⰰ猀挀栀攀洀愀琀椀挀 搀爀愀眀椀渀最猀Ⰰ 氀愀礀漀甀琀猀 愀渀搀 漀琀栀攀爀 瘀椀猀甀愀氀 愀椀搀猀⸀ 倀爀漀ǻ挀椀攀渀挀礀 椀渀 䔀渀最氀椀猀栀 愀渀搀 䴀愀氀琀攀猀攀Ⰰ 戀漀琀栀 漀爀愀氀氀礀 愀渀搀 椀渀 眀爀椀琀椀渀最 爀攀焀甀椀爀攀搀⸀ 䨀漀戀猀瀀氀甀猀 倀攀爀洀椀琀 渀甀洀戀攀爀 㠀㠀⼀㈀ 㠀 䄀瀀瀀氀椀挀愀渀琀猀 猀栀漀甀氀搀 戀攀 椀渀 瀀漀猀猀攀猀猀椀漀渀 漀昀 愀 搀攀最爀攀攀 漀爀 愀 洀椀渀椀洀甀洀 漀昀 䰀攀瘀攀氀 㘀 焀甀愀氀椀ǻ挀愀琀椀漀渀Ⰰ 椀渀 䔀渀最椀渀攀攀爀椀渀最Ⰰ 䌀栀攀洀椀猀琀爀礀Ⰰ 䔀渀瘀椀爀漀渀洀攀渀琀愀氀 匀挀椀攀渀挀攀猀 愀渀搀⼀漀爀 漀琀栀攀爀 猀挀椀攀渀挀攀猀⸀ 䬀渀漀眀氀攀搀最攀 漀昀 挀栀攀洀椀猀琀爀礀 眀漀甀氀搀 戀攀 挀漀渀猀椀搀攀爀攀搀 愀渀 愀猀猀攀琀⸀ 䌀愀渀搀椀搀愀琀攀猀 猀栀愀氀氀 栀愀瘀攀 愀 洀椀渀椀洀甀洀 漀昀 琀眀漀 礀攀愀爀猀ᤠ 攀砀瀀攀爀椀攀渀挀攀 椀渀 愀 洀愀渀愀最攀爀椀愀氀 爀漀氀攀⸀ 倀爀漀ǻ挀椀攀渀挀礀 椀渀 䔀渀最氀椀猀栀Ⰰ 戀漀琀栀 漀爀愀氀氀礀 愀渀搀 椀渀 眀爀椀琀椀渀最 爀攀焀甀椀爀攀搀⸀ 䨀漀戀猀瀀氀甀猀 倀攀爀洀椀琀 渀甀洀戀攀爀 㠀㔀⼀㈀ 㠀 䌀䰀伀匀䤀一䜀 䐀䄀吀䔀 䘀伀刀 䄀倀倀䰀䤀䌀䄀一吀匀 䤀匀 㘀 吀䠀 䄀倀刀䤀䰀 ㈀ 㠀 圀愀猀琀攀猀攀爀瘀 栀愀猀 戀攀攀渀 攀渀琀爀甀猀琀攀搀 眀椀琀栀 琀栀攀 爀攀猀瀀漀渀猀椀戀椀氀椀琀礀 昀漀爀 漀爀最愀渀椀猀椀渀最Ⰰ 洀愀渀愀最椀渀最 愀渀搀 漀瀀攀爀愀琀椀渀最 椀渀琀攀最爀愀琀攀搀 猀礀猀琀攀洀猀 昀漀爀 眀愀猀琀攀 洀愀渀愀最攀洀攀渀琀 椀渀 䴀愀氀琀愀 猀椀渀挀攀 一漀瘀攀洀戀攀爀 ㈀ ㈀⸀ 伀甀爀 甀氀琀椀洀愀琀攀 愀椀洀 椀猀 琀漀 攀渀挀漀甀爀愀最攀 瀀攀漀瀀氀攀 琀漀 洀愀欀攀 眀愀猀琀攀 洀愀渀愀最攀洀攀渀琀 愀渀 椀渀琀攀最爀愀氀 氀椀昀攀猀琀礀氀攀 瀀爀愀挀琀椀猀攀⸀ 伀甀爀 攀渀搀氀攀猀猀 挀漀洀洀椀琀洀攀渀琀 琀漀眀愀爀搀猀 洀愀砀椀洀椀猀椀渀最 爀攀猀漀甀爀挀攀猀 昀漀爀 琀栀攀 瀀爀漀瀀攀爀 洀愀渀愀最攀洀攀渀琀 漀昀 眀愀猀琀攀 琀漀最攀琀栀攀爀 眀椀琀栀 最攀渀攀爀愀琀椀渀最 爀攀渀攀眀愀戀氀攀 攀渀攀爀最礀 栀愀猀 漀瀀攀渀攀搀 愀 渀攀眀 挀栀愀氀氀攀渀最椀渀最 挀栀愀瀀琀攀爀⸀ 䤀渀 ㈀ 㠀Ⰰ 圀愀猀琀攀猀攀爀瘀 眀椀氀氀 戀攀 琀愀欀椀渀最 漀渀 渀攀眀 瀀爀漀樀攀挀琀猀 琀栀愀琀 眀椀氀氀 氀攀愀搀 琀漀 昀甀爀琀栀攀爀 椀洀瀀爀漀瘀攀洀攀渀琀 椀渀 眀愀猀琀攀 洀愀渀愀最攀洀攀渀琀Ⰰ 洀愀渀愀最攀洀攀渀琀Ⰰ 眀栀椀挀栀 眀椀氀氀 愀氀猀漀 栀攀氀瀀 攀渀栀愀渀挀攀 琀栀攀 焀甀愀氀椀琀礀 漀昀 氀椀昀攀 椀渀 䴀愀氀琀愀⸀ 䤀渀 瘀椀攀眀 漀昀 琀栀椀猀 攀砀瀀愀渀猀椀漀渀Ⰰ 眀攀 愀爀攀 氀漀漀欀椀渀最 昀漀爀 渀攀眀 琀攀愀洀 洀攀洀戀攀爀猀 琀栀愀琀 眀椀氀氀 昀漀爀洀 瀀愀爀琀 漀昀 愀渀 攀瘀攀爀 椀渀挀爀攀愀猀椀渀最氀礀 搀礀渀愀洀椀挀 漀爀最愀渀椀猀愀琀椀漀渀⸀ 䄀猀 瀀愀爀琀 漀昀 漀甀爀 挀漀渀琀椀渀甀漀甀猀 最爀漀眀琀栀 愀渀搀 最攀愀爀椀渀最 甀瀀 昀漀爀 琀栀攀 甀瀀挀漀洀椀渀最 挀栀愀氀氀攀渀最攀猀Ⰰ 眀攀 愀爀攀 猀攀攀欀椀渀最 琀漀 爀攀挀爀甀椀琀㨀 for whistleblower status refused Jonathan Ferris (left) enters the European Parliament offices in Valletta with his lawyer, Nationalist MP Jason Azzopardi, to meet MEPs on a 'rule of law' mission to Malta back in 2017