Two Transport Malta driving test examiners testified in court on Thursday about their concerns after being ordered by their superiors to give special treatment to particular candidates.

They were called to testify against former Transport Malta (TM) director Clint Mansueto who allegedly used to pressure them to afford special treatment to certain candidates so as to ensure that they passed their driving test.

Mansueto is facing charges together with TM officials Raul Antonio Pace and Philip Edrick Zammit for having allegedly led the racket. They have all been suspended.

The case revolves around allegations that government ministries and private individuals sought help for particular candidates sitting for both theory and practical driving tests.

Adrian Formosa Stevens testified that when he joined Transport Malta as driving examiner five years ago, such “marked” candidates whom the examiners were to “take care of” were not that common.

Mansueto, as his former director and superior, would hand out the relevant documents on the day of the exam, including DTR (driving test report) sheets for examiners to tick any mistakes.

“Help me get rid of him,”(eħlisni minnu), Mansueto would tell the examiner, referring to some particular candidate flagged “by head office or some ministry”.

And eventually, that became the norm, he added.

Tests were scheduled at hourly intervals.

When an examiner found a paper with a particular hour written in small handwriting clipped to the batch of test papers, that was an indication of that particular candidate flagged for “special treatment.”

“It became something frequent….not something out of the blue,” said the witness.

However, in spite of such instructions, the witness said that he gave equal treatment to all candidates.

Pressure on driving examiners

But obviously, those directions from his superior piled on pressure, he said.

“Being told to take care of one or the other, made you feel under pressure,” he said, adding that when he failed a ‘flagged’ candidate, he had to face questions from the director.

“I would fail the candidate if I felt he did not deserve to pass.”

That would sometimes prompt a reaction from his superior.

“Did you fail him simply because of that?!” Mansueto would remark.

 Magistrate Rachel Montebello asked if there were any other consequences.

“U Mela le!” (of course) replied the witness, recalling a case where he was taken before a board after failing a candidate who, however, was not one of those ‘flagged’.

“I was precise and correct in my work and I was taken before the board.”

Formosa Stevens said that on another occasion, after crossing over to Gozo to conduct some driving tests there, he had pointed out that the test route was noticeably shorter than that in Malta, which was set at a minimum 45 minutes.

Examiner sidelined after complaining

“Hemmhekk jgħidulek huma,” (They do their own thing there)  Mansueto had told him, when the examiner flagged the matter.

"But after that day I did not get another test in Gozo and I don’t know what happened,” he said.

He said that being sidelined and taken off certain driving test categories upset his chances of advancing in his job.

Asked about the situation concerning theory tests, he said that he had even consulted the union about that and now no longer handled such tests.

But when he did, he recalled how Mansueto would draw attention to particular candidates needing help with reading exam questions.

That being a one-to-one situation meant that he had to be more patient with the candidate and try to explain questions better.

He recalled a particular case where the candidate did not know the meaning of “carriageway” (karreġġata).

However, there were other cases where ‘marked’ candidates could clearly read.

“They would read question and answer before even getting any help,” said the witness.

Such candidates would also fill in a form at the TM offices.

“We asked the union (about such help) around 2018 and 2019, and I stopped doing those theory tests involving those candidates ‘needing special help’,” said the witness.

Before ending his testimony, the witness handed the court photos of sample test papers with the paper signalling candidates for special attention, dated 2019.

Asked by the court why he had taken those photos, the witness explained that he was afraid and had started to note those matters.

"One day he doesn’t speak to you, the next you’re taken before the board…. I was afraid that it would finally turn against me. So I took three photos of the exam paper packets to explain better.”

Those papers were handed out by Mansueto or his clerk to all examiners, the witness concluded.

Motorcycle test conducted with much lesser-powered bike

Another examiner testified about a particular incident which took place on June 25, 2021.

Just six months into his job at TM, Josef Farrugia Mallia said Mansueto ordered him to conduct the driving test of a colleague, Matthew Vella.

He was told that although Vella was to sit for the category A motorcycle test, he would be using a less powerful motorbike at the exam.

“Dan it-test ha tagħmlu inti tal-kandidat li hu kollega tieghek. Dan examiner u rridu ngħinuh,” (You are to handle this test of a colleague of yours. He is an examiner and we need him to pass) Mansueto had told him.

“I was to obey his orders as director,” explained the witness.

Motorcycles classified under category A had a capacity of 500 cc and over but Vella turned up for the test with his own 125 cc private bike which was classified under the A1 category.

“Was it something you yourself noticed or were you told by Mansueto?” asked the magistrate.

“No, he told me. I was just six months into the job and still seeing what it involved. I had no experience.”

He said he had taken the candidate through the normal test procedure.

Vella had handled the manoevres well, making some four minor errors along the route. On the whole, control and balance were fine and he ensured that Vella was safe for the road. 

Once the exam was over, the witness handed over the relative pass certificate.

“But I kept pondering about it,” he said.

He spoke to his colleagues and then realized that the procedure he had been ordered to follow was not correct.

That was when he decided to report the matter to a senior Transport Malta official, Pierre Montebello, bypassing Mansueto.

The case continues in January.

Inspector Wayne Borg prosecuted, assisted by AG lawyers Abigail Caruana Vella and Gary Cauchi.

Lawyers Arthur Azzopardi and Jacob Magri are counsel to Mansueto.

Lawyers Joe Giglio and Roberta Bonello Felice are counsel to Pace.

Lawyer Herman Mula is counsel to Zammit