A woman who was found guilty of bribing a Transport Malta official insisted that she only contacted former director Clint Mansueto to “speed up the process” to help her nephew obtain his driving licence. 

Maria Assunta Camilleri took the witness stand on Monday in proceedings against Mansueto and two of his former subordinates, Raul Antonio Pace and Philip Endrick Zammit, who stand accused over their alleged involvement in the driving licence racket.

All three are pleading not guilty. 

Just over two months ago, Camilleri was placed under probation after admitting to the bribery charges.

On Monday, she was summoned to testify in the ongoing case explaining that she first contacted Mansueto after Labour canvasser Jesmond Zammit dropped his name during a house visit to her mother-in-law. 

Zammit said Mansueto could lend a hand when Camilleri mentioned the upcoming driving test of her nephew, Marcus Galdes. 

“I did so it wouldn’t take long,” she said, insisting that she only texted Mansueto so that he could speed up the process. 

Her nephew first applied for a licence to drive trucks. 

Mansueto advised her that the candidate was to sit for the CPC (certificate of professional competence) test first. The test was an initial qualification for candidates applying for category C or D licences, namely those covering trucks, coaches, mini-buses and buses. 

Her nephew was not successful at first and Mansueto would tell her to pass on the message, “tell him to put his mind to it”.

Questioned by AG lawyer Abigail Caruana Vella, Camilleri said that through Mansueto’s intervention her nephew could “skip the queue”.

For instance, instead of waiting for six months for his test, he was scheduled for an appointment within two weeks. 

Although she rarely phoned Mansueto, she regularly texted him, to inform him about her nephew’s application for the theory and driving tests, even after a date had been set for the test. 

When Marcus sat for his coach driving licence, he failed the first time around. 

Mansueto told his aunt he would have to re-apply. 

“Good morning Clint. Marcus Galdes ok. Thanks a lot for everything,” she texted when her nephew finally made it. 

“Why did you thank him?” asked the prosecutor.

“Perhaps because he went for his test and passed,” replied the witness. 

But when the prosecutor pointed out that applying for a driving licence was the candidate’s right and why had his aunt thanked Mansueto, Camilleri replied, “I don’t know.” 

“I’m Maria, Marcus’s aunt… tomorrow he has his theory test for mini-buses [licence] at 8.30am… so that they help him a bit please and I’ll see you as usual,” ran another of Camilleri’s messages to Mansueto.

Asked what sort of help she was referring to, Camilleri said that since her nephew could not read and write, he needed assistance during the test. 

“I had applied for a helper… I just wanted to make sure they would not forget about the helper,” she sought to explain.

But she insisted that she only handed over money to Mansueto three times, each time visiting his TM office to give him €50.

Other messages read out in court indicated that Camilleri would announce her visit. 

Yet, she insisted that she had given him the money as a token for his help in speeding up the process. 

“No, I don’t want it,” Mansueto told her. 

“No, take it as a thank you,” Camilleri replied after her nephew finally got his licence. And Mansueto kept the €50.

Two other candidates

Camilleri had intervened to help two other candidates. One was an Arab national who applied for a motorbike licence. 

“Tomorrow that Arab is having his theory test for a motorcycle... if they can help… if he passes, he’ll take care of you as usual,” she texted Mansueto, ahead of the candidate’s test. 

She returned to his office with another €50 token when the result was successful. 

She followed the same pattern with a third candidate on behalf of whom she intervened, seeking Mansueto’s help. 

Other messages dating back to February 2020 were linked to her nephew’s second application for a coach licence. 

After the driving test, Mansueto texted her that “he [Marcus] had failed over one or two errors. Next week we’ll give him another appointment.” 

Camilleri asked Mansueto to “book” her nephew for his next attempt “to speed up matters".

“At last we’ve made it,” Mansueto messaged when her nephew passed his theory test. 

“Thank you very much,” Camilleri texted back. “See you tomorrow.” 

Marcus passed both tests for a truck and coach licence but his aunt insisted that she only gave Mansueto one €50 payment. 

The witness sounded rather unconvincing when asked about a message three days after her nephew’s theory test. 

“Tomorrow he has his other one please,” she messaged Mansueto.

“What arrangement did you have?” asked presiding Magistrate Rachel Montebello.

“If you already had the date for the driving test, what help did you need?” 

“So that they helped him with his theory test,” replied the witness. 

But that answer prompted a warning from the magistrate that the witness was under oath. 

“You’ve already been convicted. No need to fear. You’re here as a witness to tell the truth. If you don’t, the court may order action against you for perjury,” warned the magistrate. 

“Was it [to help him] with passing [the test]?”

“Yes,” said the witness, referring to help during the driving test.