Transport Malta was right not to renew a man’s taxi licence after he was convicted of drug trafficking and conspiracy to traffic drugs, a tribunal has ruled.

The Administrative Review Tribunal ruled that since Alan Muscat was convicted of the crime committed in 2010, Transport Malta was right in refusing to renew his taxi driver tag.

Magistrate Charmaine Galea, presiding over the tribunal, heard how Muscat was sentenced to two months in jail in 2019 over a case that took place nine years earlier, despite admitting to the charges. 

The case dates back to February 2010 when Muscat and three others, including his brother, were charged with conspiring to traffic almost five kilograms of cannabis, trafficking the drug and being in possession of the substance in circumstances denoting it was not for their personal use.

Their arraignment followed a police operation that foiled a drug deal.

Muscat complained that he has been working as a taxi driver for the last 15 years and never had any problems before.

He said that since his permit was due to expire, he applied for a renewal but was informed in January last year that his tag was not going to be renewed since he did not satisfy the conditions for such a renewal. One of the conditions is that the person must have a clean conduct certificate.

Transport Malta told him that he was “no longer considered to be of good conduct or reputation”.

Muscat explained that he had not served his sentence because he had spent the term in preventive custody while his case was still pending.

He told the tribunal that he had kicked the habit and was not making the same mistakes committed in the past.

In her decision, Magistrate Galea upheld Transport Malta’s arguments because the crime of which Muscat was found guilty was mentioned specifically as one that precluded the authority from issuing a driver’s tag.

The tribunal also noted that Muscat had specifically signed a declaration that he had not been found guilty of any crime when he knew that this was not the case.

Although she acknowledged that the man had managed to get his life back on track and that his mistake was committed 14 years ago, the magistrate said that the law had to be applied uniformly to everyone. She therefore upheld Transport Malta’s arguments and threw out Muscat's request for the decision to be overturned.