Anti-corruption commission produced zero corruption referrals

Malta’s Permanent Commission Against Corruption (PCAC) did not refer a single case for prosecution after finding no corrupt practices, despite corruption continuing to be perceived as widespread and millions of taxpayers’ euros being spent across sectors considered at high risk.

The stark assessment is contained in the European Commission’s latest Rule of Law Report on Malta, which concludes that the PCAC’s capacity to contribute effectively to investigating and prosecuting corruption “remains limited”.

According to the report, the Commission continues to operate with just three part-time members. More significantly, as in previous years, it received no reports on corruption, established no instances of corrupt practice and consequently transmitted no findings to the Attorney General for possible prosecution.

The European Commission also highlighted structural problems which appear to undermine the anti-corruption body’s effectiveness.

The PCAC has investigative powers alongside those of the police, creating situations where the two institutions can investigate the same case simultaneously. Yet strict secrecy provisions prevent the PCAC from sharing the evidence it collects with the police, the Attorney General or even in court.

The findings come as Brussels once again criticised Malta’s wider record in tackling high-level corruption.

Despite increased resources at the police Financial Crimes Investigation Department and the Attorney General’s Office, the European Commission found only “limited progress” in reducing the length of high-level corruption investigations and no progress in establishing a robust record of final judgments.

In 2025, police launched 11 new corruption investigations, and the Attorney General initiated 12 prosecutions, but the courts delivered just two judgments. There are still 36 corruption cases pending before the courts, 28 of which were initiated before 2025.

Public perceptions also remain damning.

Some 87% of Maltese respondents believe corruption is widespread, compared with an EU average of 71%, while almost half said corruption affects them personally in their daily lives.

The report also singles out public procurement and urban and spatial planning as sectors carrying high corruption risks. Almost half of businesses surveyed in Malta – 49%, compared with an EU average of 30% – said they believed corruption had prevented them from winning a public tender or procurement contract during the previous three years.

Despite these indicators, the government’s dedicated Permanent Commission Against Corruption produced no referrals for prosecution.