Update 7.33pm - Denis Tanti accuses Permanent Secretary of sophistry
A former employee on disciplinary matters to the incumbent CEO of St Vincent de Paul is accusing his former head of discrimination and conflict of interest.
In a news conference at the British Hotel in Valletta, Denis Tanti, who reached retirement age yesterday, said he was turning to the media as he could no longer bear the situation.
He noted he had no political motives, having clashed with both major parties and having been awarded compensation in 1987 - when the PN was elected to government, and in 2013 when Labour came to power.
Mr Tanti, a former assistant director for industrial and employment relations within the Health Ministry, backed his claims with a list of cases involving unauthorised absence from work, negligence in the care of elderly patients, verbal abuse against superiors and even a case of squatting within the residential home for the elderly.
He said he was in possession of emails from the CEO herself in which he was allegedly told to turn a blind eye to certain cases of abuse. He said that in certain instances either no disciplinary action was taken or it was only PN sympathisers who were being punished.
Mr Tanti claimed that SVDP CEO Josianne Cutajar had a conflict of interest in that she was allowed to continue her medical private practice despite getting a remuneration package to the tune of €68,000 a year.
Asked whether he had flagged the cases to Social Policy Minister Michael Farrugia, he said that in spite of a cordial meeting, no action was taken - not even from permanent secretary Mark Musu, who had been alerted about the situation separately.
“In spite of repeated warnings Dr Cutajar would not heed my advice to act with impartiality and clamp down on certain abuses like absenteeism,” he claimed.
“My motivation is to prevent workers from losing their trust in the CEO,” he added.
Mr Tanti said that as a last resort he reported both the CEO and the permanent secretary to the Public Service Commission for allegedly failing to implement disciplinary procedures in the correct manner. An investigation was started but the outcome is still pending.
Asked if he had faced a backlash after taking such a stand, Mr Vella said that in April last year he was transferred to another section where he spent six months idle until he was deployed as a staff nurse in November.
Consequently, he reported his personal case to the Ombudsman but the probe launched 10 months ago had seemingly stalled due to a lack of cooperation, Mr Tanti said.
“Yesterday was my last day of work and today - on my 65th birthday I decided that I am morally bound to speak out, for the people to known what is going on,” he said.
Times of Malta asked the Parliamentary Secretariat for the Elderly to comment on the claims made by Mr Tanti.
When contacted, a spokeswoman for Dr Cutajar said the latter was not in a position to respond as she was abroad.
Government denies allegations
Mr Tanti had previously reported his claims to the Ombudsman and an investigation into them was already taking place, the Social Solidarity ministry said in a statement.
It rejected Mr Tanti's claims but said the ministry, permanent secretariat and St Vincent De Paul CEO were all collaborating with investigators.
"The truth is that the permanent secretary and SVDP CEO always investigated issues as they arose...and where necessary took measures, including disciplinary ones," the ministry said.
It said Mr Tanti was not employed as an advisor to the retirement home, but rather as a nurse on a definite contract.
SVDP's CEO was entitled to run a private practice, the ministry said, given that she was a "consultant GP employed by the government". It cited a 2013 collective agreement in defence of its claim.Mr Tanti subsequently responded to this by accusing the Permanent Secretary of sophistry.
Mr Tanti subsequently responded to this by accusing Social Solidarity ministry permanent secretary Mark Musu' of sophistry.
"The collective agreement mentioned does not enter into the merits of people placed in positions of trust," he said, before going on to allege that an internal investigation instigated by Mr Musu' had sought to cover up abuse.
In a statement issued after the initial allegations, the Nationalist Party called for an immediate investigation and praised Mr Tanti for his courage in speaking out.