NGO Repubblika said Wednesday that it does not understand the government’s decision to bring back employees accused of serious crimes after their suspension from public service.
Repubblika was referring to remarks made by Parliamentary Secretary Rebecca Buttigieg where she said she would not rehire an employee accused of sexual harassment within her ministry, after the controversial reinstatement of Clint Axisa at Infrastructure Malta, who was accused of sexually harassing employees.
“There is no doubt that until proven guilty, everyone is presumed innocent. However, there is also no doubt that the public service should be composed of exemplary individuals without any stain on their character,” the organisation said in a statement.
It said that it is not fair to other public service employees who have to work in the same environment as people whom the police and the prosecutor believe have committed serious crimes.
“That is why we support those who protested the reinstatement of the person accused of committing sexual harassment at work. This decision, which appears to be motivated by the fact that the individual in question has political connections, poses a threat to women in the workplace, implicitly warning them that anyone who bothers them today will return to the workplace tomorrow,” Repubblika said.
Referring to Buttigieg’s words, who said that she would not employ the concerned individual in her office “as the minister responsible for equality.”
Repubblika said that government cannot have an equality policy limited only to the Ministry of Equality. Equality policy (and protection of all values allegedly violated by persons accused of serious crimes) should apply throughout the public service.
“The government has not yet explained why it decided to bring back suspended individuals after the police accused them of serious crimes. We will be positive and assume that the reason for these reinstatements is not the impending elections,” Repubblika said.
It said that the only possible excuse government can have is that suspended individuals are innocent until proven otherwise.
Repubblika said that currently, criminal procedures take too long, so it is not fair that someone presumed innocent has to wait years for suspicion to be lifted.
The solution should not me that there is no suspension, Repubblika said, but rather make the necessary changes in the judicial system to expedite criminal proceedings.
Repubblika said that government seems to have lost hope in reforming justice, and thus the only solution it found is to reintegrate persons accused of serious crimes into employment.
It said that this way, workers and clients of public services will now have to face these individuals every day.
