Updated 1.10pm with further detail below.

A driving examiner has told a court that he was warned he would have to "answer to the minister" if he failed a candidate for a bus driving licence.

Roderick Cavallo described how he was told particular candidates should be allowed to pass their tests unless their vehicles "return splattered with blood".

The minister being referred to was not identified during the court hearing on Tuesday. 

Clint Mansueto, 40, and Transport Malta officials Raul Antonio Pace, 35, and Philip Edrick Zammit, 23, stand charged over an alleged racket whereby government ministries and private individuals sought help for particular driving exam candidates. They have pleaded not guilty.

Cavallo, a driving examiner who was the main prosecution witness on Tuesday, recalled how Mansueto would give him instructions, sometimes verbally, or else by leaving notes on the parcel of candidates’ papers collected by each examiner before their routine run of practical driving tests.

“For instance, there would be ’10.30am’ written on the outside of the sheaf of candidates’ certificates,” he said, explaining how the indicated time corresponded to the candidate scheduled to sit for the test at that allocated time.

“Ħu ħsiebu,” (take care of him) Mansueto would tell him, explaining that a particular candidate would be described as “tal-ministru” or “tal-ministeru.” (the minister's or the ministry's).

He said this happened more than once and those instructions put pressure on him.

Cavallo described how he would seek to make the selected candidates comfortable and would try to avoid busy roads to cut down on possible mistakes during the test.

“I didn’t feel comfortable as I would have been held responsible had they failed," he said.

Asked what he meant by that, the witness said that after each test, Mansueto would ask how the indicated candidates had fared and would be angry if told that they had failed.

Helping with theory tests

Cavallo said that he had started off as an examiner in theory tests.

In those cases, he would give such pinpointed candidates a second chance when they gave a wrong answer.

“Are you sure? Think about it,” he would urge them.

He then started examining Class B drivers, those applying for a licence to drive normal passenger cars.

He then moved on to motorcycles and buses.

On one occasion involving a candidate for a bus driver’s licence, Mansueto warned him:  “if the candidate fails to make it, you answer to the minister.” The minister was not identified.

Another time, Mansueto said, “jekk it-trakkijiet ma jiġux imċappsin bid-demm, jgħaddu.” (Unless the trucks return splattered with blood, the drivers pass [the test]).

“That’s not nice, eh! I felt under pressure,” explained Cavallo.

He said that whenever Mansueto was away on any particular exam day, he would either summon the examiner a day before or else leave the written ‘message’ on the parcel of documents to be collected by each examiner.

New examiners brought in after senior ones take a stand

He said that when he and fellow examiners finally decided to take a stand and roped in their trade union, they, “the senior ones,” were sidelined and those ‘particular’ requests dwindled and ultimately stopped.

“That happened after new examiners were brought in,” said the witness.

That was some three years ago and since then he had received no such instructions, Cavallo said, adding that was why he had some difficulty in recalling exact words spoken at the time.

Replying to questions, Cavallo said it was only Clint Mansueto who issued the 'instructions' to him. Mansueto was his immediate superior. 

Sometimes, one of his subordinates would hand over the papers and convey some message such as, “qallek dan,” (he told you 'this one') referring to Mansueto and flagging a particular candidate.

Asked by Pace’s lawyer, the witness confirmed that Pace (the co-accused) had never sought help for anyone but would simply convey Mansueto’s messages.

Asked whether he had received instructions from the other co-accused, Zammit, Cavallo replied, “not that I remember.”

“Was your life ever threatened?” asked Zammit’s lawyer.

“Not my life. But he [Mansueto] once told me, ‘I command here. Remember what happened to...,” recalled Cavallo, naming a third party who previously worked at Transport Malta.

“I was afraid of Clint…I don’t know…I didn’t feel comfortable.. Everyone was on his side.”

Asked to explain better what he meant by that, Cavallo said that after he and other examiners were sidelined, Mansueto began to make life difficult for them.

He no longer communicated with them and began to “take revenge.”

The director had “changed work requirements to deny them a promotion,” went on the witness.

“This is speculation,” remarked Mansueto’s lawyer. “When I and others began to take a stand and we roped in the union, he began to treat us in that manner,” insisted the witness.

He said he had agreed to testify after the prosecution assured him that no charges were to be filed against him.

At the end of Tuesday’s sitting Magistrate Rachel Montebello decreed that there was enough prima facie evidence for all three accused to stand trial.

The case continues in November.

Inspector Wayne Borg is prosecuting, assisted by AG lawyer Abigail Caruana Vella. Lawyers Arthur Azzopardi and Clive Gerada assisted Mansueto.

Lawyers Joe Giglio and Roberta Bonello Felice assisted Pace. Lawyer Herman Mula assisted Zammit. Lawyer Chris Cilia assisted Cavallo up to the point when prosecutors said they would not be pressing charges against him.