Former Police Sergeant Given Five Years' Imprisonment for Marsa Flyover Overtime Fraud
Norman Xuereb, a former police sergeant, has been sentenced to five years' imprisonment after being found guilty of fraud and making false declarations related to an overtime scheme connected to the Marsa flyover project.
Former Police Sergeant Given Five Years' Imprisonment for Marsa Flyover Overtime Fraud
The Maltese court has determined that a former police sergeant should receive a sentence of five years' imprisonment after being found guilty of fraud and making false declarations in connection with an overtime scheme linked to the Marsa flyover project.
Norman Xuereb, who was a police officer from 1996, was identified by investigators as one of the key figures in this case. He was responsible for coordinating with Infrastructure Malta and Transport Malta regarding payments related to the project.
The scandal began to emerge in 2020 after an anonymous whistleblower alerted the police commissioner to suspected claims of excessive overtime. The investigation, which started in the Traffic Section, subsequently expanded across several police departments and led to a number of arrests and resignations.
During proceedings in court, it emerged that Xuereb received approximately €53,000 for overtime work related to the Marsa flyover between 2018 and 2019.
He admitted that many of the overtime shifts never actually took place, and acknowledged that he did not verify whether the officials listed on the overtime rosters were present at work.
The court heard how Xuereb certified invoices for work that was never carried out, and in doing so helped create a false paper trail of documents used to justify the payments.
Magistrate Marse Ann Farrugia found him guilty of fraud, making false declarations, and committing an offence which he was obliged to prevent.
In addition to the sentence of five years' imprisonment, the court also ordered the confiscation of the €53,000 that Xuereb obtained through the scheme, and this money is to be returned to the police corps.
This news was reported by LovinMalta.
Source: Lovin Malta