Gozo Channel worker forged boatswain certificate

A Gozo Channel employee was given a suspended sentence after admitting to forging a certificate for a promotion, two months after pleading not guilty.

Angelo Demanuele, 50, was handed down an 18-month jail term, suspended for two years after he was charged in January with trying to pass off a false EDH (efficient deck-hand) certificate as authentic to move up from security to boatswain.

The company's human resources manager, Joseph Angilleri, is also expected to be charged over the case.

Magistrate Edwina Grima took into consideration the fact that Mr Demanuele had cooperated with the police, had filed an early guilty plea and would be testifying against Mr Angilleri.

The case had been brought to light by Gozo Channel captain Mario Grech, who, last September, filed a judicial protest claiming major safety flaws revolving around life-saving equipment, emergency training, lack of qualifications of the boatswain and the presence of the potentially-deadly Legionella bacteria in the water supply of three ferries. The next day, Capt. Grech was told not to report for work.

The company rebutted the claims, saying the inquiry ordered by the government into Capt. Grech's allegations would find that the allegations were "absolutely unsubstantiated" and that its operations were fully compliant with the law and proper practices.

Mr Demanuele had told the police when interrogated that the company's human resources manager had helped him obtain the false certificate of competence. On the strength of this certificate, Mr Demanuele was promoted from security officer with Gozo Channel to boatswain last June on the recommendation of a board, which was told by Mr Angilleri that the candidate was in possession of an EDH certificate. The certificate would have proven that he had spent at least 12 months at sea, which is crucial for the position.

However, Capt. Grech queried Mr Demanuele's qualification and asked to see the certificate.

The boatswain approached his superior, Arthur Napier, and told him that he had lost the certificate and needed a new one. The prosecuting officer said Mr Napier spoke to Mr Angilleri who then issued another certificate, which was false.

On close examination, it resulted that the certificate's issue number - 51758 - belonged to that of another person.

Mr Demanuele had admitted during questioning he never sat for the exam and had not qualified for the EDH certificate.

Capt. Grech remains suspended on full pay, months after he filed the judicial protest. Soon after the protest was filed, Gozo Channel CEO Fritz Farrugia resigned, eight months into his term. He did not give a reason for his resignation but insisted it was not connected with the inquiry into Capt. Grech's allegations.