Secretariat's 'best' employee probed

A driver suspected of vandalising an official government car in an attempt to cover up a minor accident was one of the "best" employees, according to Parliamentary Secretary Mario Galea.

Mr Galea said yesterday he was shocked when Police Commissioner John Rizzo informed him on Christmas Eve that the "vandal" who scratched offensive words on the secretariat's official car was his own driver.

"He was by far one of my best employees, very hard working, efficient and timely. I cannot say anything bad about him. What he did was obviously wrong and it shocked me. I am sorry for him because he lost his job and for us because we lost his services," Mr Galea said, insisting he had asked for the driver's resignation when police investigations were concluded.

The driver, a young man in his 20s, hails from Mr Galea's home town, Żejtun, and, according to police sources, had been out after dropping off the parliamentary secretary at his home.

The accident happened when the driver was heading back home. The official car he was driving allegedly crashed against a wall and sources said the damage sustained was minor.

However, in what seems to have been a state of panic, instead of reporting the incident to the head of secretariat, the suspect allegedly scrawled offensive words "addressed at Mr Galea on the paintwork to make it seem like an act of vandalism".

Mr Galea insisted there was nothing political or personal about the whole incident.

"The driver has since apologised," he said.

The suspect is expected to be arraigned shortly.

The incident had caused a stir just before Christmas coming hot on the heels of the Qormi parcel bomb that seriously maimed 60-year-old Philip Cini.

The political parties had both condemned the vandal attack, which, at the time, was believed to have been politically motivated.