BREAKING/Court expert in Egrant Inc magisterial inquiry fired from post of Malta Information Technology Agency CTO

Last Tuesday, the incoming government’s first day back in business, saw Godwin Caruana fired from the position of chief technology officer (CTO) at the Malta Information Technology Agency (MITA), the state agency which handles all government information technology and government internet servers. Dr Caruana had been appointed to that position in 2010.

In his personal professional capacity, he has been serving as a court expert – appointed by inquiring magistrate Aaron Bugeja – on the magisterial inquiry into Egrant Inc, related companies, Pilatus Bank and Nexia BT.

An email sent out to all staff and management at the Malta Information Technology Agency on Tuesday afternoon, by the agency’s executive chairman Tony Sultana (reproduced below) says:

I need to inform you that with immediate effect Godwin Caruana will no longer be the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of MITA. He will focus and head the functions pertaining to the TDED Department.
 
In the coming weeks a call will be issued for new CTO who will be primarily responsible for the Agency’s Technology Strategy, Direction & Architecture including the Technology Committee (TECO).

TDED stands for Technology Directorate and eGovernment Department. The move represents a demotion.

Sources at the agency said that the matter was not discussed with Dr Caruana and that he was informed about it “two minutes before we all received the email”.

This website rang Dr Caruana, who did not wish to comment. “The situation is too fluid right now and I have to see what all this means exactly,” he said. “You will understand that it would be inappropriate for me to say anything before the situation has been clarified.”

Asked whether this means he will no longer be the court expert in the magisterial inquiry, Dr Caruana said: “I will carry on as long as the magistrate needs me there. The appointment is in my personal professional capacity and not as MITA CTO.”

Anthony (Tony) Sultana, who has also had a long career at the state information technology agency, was appointed its executive chairman by the incoming government in April 2013. He is known for his keen involvement with the Labour Party and at one time served as a director of the Labour Party’s media. He was also one of the Labour Party’s representatives on the Electoral Commission. Mr Sultana chairs the MITA board of directors and the MITA executive committee​.