Norman Vella’s redeployment from PBS was demand-driven – civil service chief Mario Cutajar

From THE MALTA INDEPENDENT

The decision to end former TVHemm presenter Norman Vella's deployment at the Public Broadcasting Services was demand-driven, as he was required to return to his post as an immigration officer, the head of the civil service testified in front of the Employment Commission today.

Mr Vella is claiming that he was unfairly dismissed due to discrimination in a case brought before the commission. Principal Permanent Secretary Mario Cutajar was the only witness in today's sitting: PBS CEO Anton Attard was also set to testify, but the commission was informed that he was indisposed.

In reply to questions by Mr Vella's lawyer Andrew Borg Cardona, Mr Cutajar confirmed that coincidentally, he had presented a similar complaint to the commission in 2008, when his contract as head of visitor services and HR at Heritage Malta was terminated after three years even though he had scored highly in performance appraisals.

He also confirmed that while he was in the civil service, he had been seconded to the General Workers' Union for 15 years, starting out as a junior secretary and rising up the ranks to become deputy secretary general before resigning.

Mr Cutajar described Mr Vella as a friend, stating that he came to know him "very long ago," when Mr Vella worked as a journalist for GWU newspaper l-Orizzont. He added that he also knew Mr Vella's brother and his parents: Mr Vella's father Karmenu had been a section secretary at the GWU before he resigned and co-founded the Malta Dockers' Union in 2006.

He confirmed that his approval had been required to end Mr Vella's deployment at PBS, and that he had received a recommendation from the Home Affairs Ministry - signed by its permanent secretary Kevin Mahoney - that Mr Vella was required to return to his post as an immigration officer at the Malta International Airport.

Mr Cutajar told the commission that he made sure that Mr Vella's deployment was not ended midway through the TVHemm schedule. But ultimately, he said, he did not go into detail, stating that he did not discuss the case with anyone from the ministry.

"I had documentation in hand, and once I ascertained that the reason for the request was demand-driven, I did not need to look into the matter," Mr Cutajar said, adding that he did not doubt the ministry's claims.

He also said that he did not speak with Mr Vella.

"My role involves taking decisions which can hurt people, but you have to take them nevertheless," Mr Cutajar said when asked why he did not.

Asked on the different versions of events reported in the press - including an article which appeared on the Times of Malta, in which an Office of the Prime Minister spokesman is quoted as saying that PBS had asked for Mr Vella's secondment to be revoked - Mr Cutajar said that he looked into claims that policies were changed to accommodate Mr Vella.

Mr Cutajar added that he found out that these were true. He noted that civil servants who apply for unpaid leave to try out a different job could apply for a maximum of three years, only for the term to be extended by two more years when Mr Vella's time was up.

The case continues on 25 November, when Mr Attard is expected to testify.