Updated 6.30pm with LESA statement
A magistrate has upheld Jason Azzopardi’s request for a magisterial probe into an alleged fine-cancelling racket operated by LESA officials.
Details about what Azzopardi claims was a years-long fraudulent scheme involving the Local Enforcement System Agency, its top officials and private car hire companies, were first divulged in a sworn application to the magistrate last month.
Azzopardi claimed that hundreds of unsuspecting tourists were lumped with traffic fines for contraventions committed by local drivers who were also spared penalty points.
The lawyer and former PN MP also claimed that this racket, which over the years was fine-tuned to function with the “precision of a Swiss watch,” meant that millions of euros were channelled to private pockets rather than the State coffers.
Azzopardi listed 13 criminal offences on the basis of which top LESA officials, namely CEO Svetlick Flores and customer care official Neville Camilleri, were to be criminally investigated and prosecuted.
He claimed one of the key beneficiaries of the scheme was WT Global, which operates Malta's largest fleet of Y-Plate cabs.
Both Flores and Camilleri filed separate replies to Azzopardi’s application, strongly denying the allegations and declaring that they were willing to fully cooperate in the relative investigations.
LESA has also denied the allegations.
How the alleged racket worked
LESA, the Local Enforcement System Agency, is responsible for levying fines for traffic contraventions such as double parking, speeding or driving the wrong way. It also deducts penalty points from contravenors’ licences.
Azzopardi alleges that in some cases, specific contravenors who broke traffic rules were helped to avoid fines and penalty point deductions by LESA CEO Svetlik Flores and customer care official Neville Camilleri.
Camilleri is also a Paola local councillor on Labour’s ticket.
Through their privileged “backdoor” access to the agency’s servers, these two officials allegedly manipulated data to transfer fines and penalty points onto tourists who happened to be driving rental cars that day.
Azzopardi claims LESA had access to car rental agreements signed between tourists and rental firms.
'The truth wins'
On Monday, Magistrate Antoine Agius Bonnici, decreed that Azzopardi had satisfied all the pre-requisites for an in genere inquiry to be conducted.
For this reason, the magistrate ordered the acts of the case to be sent to the Registrar of the Criminal Court for the purpose of selecting the magistrate who will handle the inquiry.
Azzopardi announced the decision on his Facebook page, asking anyone with information to speak to the investigating magistrate.
"I myself will be giving him a lot of new information that I received in the last week, including evidence and witnesses," he said.
"Don't give up. The truth wins. You suffer yes, but you prevail," he added.
It is the second inquiry that Azzopardi has initiated in as many months.
In August, magistrate upheld his application for the holding of a magisterial inquiry into an alleged scam which saw the government's identity agency issue Maltese ID cards on the basis of forged documents.
Azzopardi claims some 18,000 ID cards were issued this way.
LESA: We will collaborate fully with magistrate
In a statement issued on Wednesday following news of the magisterial probe, LESA reiterated that it was innocent.
"As previously stated, LESA will collaborate fully with any investigation," it said as it categorically denied the charges made by Azzopardi.
LESA said its CEO [Flores] had offered the inquiring magistrate his full cooperation in any investigation.
"The agency does not tolerate any abuse or tainting of its integrity. Over the years, we have taken various forms of action, including legal moves to free assets, in order to recoupt payments owed," it added.