Boatswain claims HR manager helped him get fake certificate

A former Gozo Channel crewman told the police that the company's human resources manager had helped him obtain a false certificate of competence, a court head yesterday.

Angelo Demanuele, 50, was arraigned after he who was allegedly caught trying to pass off a false EDH (efficient deck-hand) certificate as an authentic one. He is pleading not guilty to forging and using the false certificate.

Police Inspector Angelo Gafà testified yesterday the accused had been promoted from security officer with the company to botswain in June last year on the recommendation of a board that was told by human resources manager Joseph Angilleri that the candidate possessed an EDH certificate.

Although no specific qualifications were needed to become a boatswain, an important requirement was experience and the certificate would have proven that the man had spent at least 12 months at sea.

The captain of the MV Malita, Mario Grech, however, queried the man's qualification and asked to see the certificate. At this point, Mr Demanuele approached another man, Arthur Napier, his superior, and told him he had lost the certificate and needed a new one to be issued.

Mr Napier spoke to Mr Angilleri who then issued another certificate, which was false, to Mr Demanuele, the police officer said.

On close examination of the certificate, it resulted that the issue number, 51758, actually belonged to that issued to another man who had nothing to do with the case, the witness said.

When the police officer called Mr Demanuele for questioning, he admitted he had never sat for the exam or had any other qualifications that would make him eligible for an EDH certificate.

The whole affair surfaced when Capt. Grech filed a judicial protest against the Gozo Channel last September, alleging serious safety shortcomings on the part of the company and mentioned the boatswain's case.

During interrogation, the HR manager denied giving a false certificate and said the document he had given to Mr Demanuele was in fact a true copy.

The police became very suspicious because after examining the document, it was clear that it was not like any other certificate issued because it was white and not green, Inspector Gafà said, adding that Mr Angilleri would be charged soon over the same case.

The case continues.

Lawyers Emanuel Mallia and Arthur Azzopardi appeared for Mr Demanuele.