Equality junior minister Rebecca Buttigieg said she would not accept someone accused of sexual harassment to work in her ministry when asked about Clint Axisa's return to government work.
Axisa, a Transport Malta official, stands accused of committing non-consensual sexual acts on a female co-worker and sexually harassing her and another woman.
His suspension was recently lifted, and returned to work last week but reported at a different entity, Infrastructure Malta.
Asked if she would accept someone with similar accusations to work in her secretariat the equality junior minister said: "If there was a particular case that came to my attention I wouldn't accept," Buttigieg said.
"As the person responsible for equality, I would not have taken that decision (to hire someone with harassment accusations)," she added.
Earlier on Tuesday, women's support NGO Fidem hit out at Axisa's return as a "slap in the face" for all victims of abuse.
Reacting to their comments, Buttigieg said protecting victims should be the priority in such cases.
"Places of work should take the necessary measure so the alleged victim and alleged aggressor do not meet face to face at work. I am informed that this person (Axisa) is reporting to work at a different entity to ensure this," she said.
There should be zero tolerance for sexual harassment, she said.
Buttigieg said she was reluctant to discuss the particular case because the case was ongoing but said the authorities should take action when there are reports.
This is what happened in this particular case, she said.
"My message is there should be zero tolerance to sexual harassment," she said, pointing out that anyone accused of any crime is presumed innocent till found guilty.
The Public Service Commission also has its procedures to decide on whether someone should remain suspended, she said.
Axisa was initially suspended from his role and appeared in court in 2022, where he denied sexual harassment charges. The case is ongoing.
It is part of a new government policy that allows some workers faced with criminal charges to return to the workplace.
The Fidem Foundation hit out at the government's decision to return Clint Axisa to government work earlier on Tuesday.
"This is a slap in the face for all victims of abuse, another step backwards in the uphill battle for the protection of women's rights and a shocking example of poor leadership," Fidem said in a statement.
"Will we ever see real change in Malta's pathetic approach to dealing with cases of sexual harassment," they asked.
The non-profit, which supports vulnerable women and girls through education, said it was "deeply dismayed" that sexual abuse victims are not taken seriously, adding that the government's decision discourages victims from speaking out.