Former Police Sergeant Jailed Five Years Over Marsa Flyover Overtime Fraud

A former police sergeant described by investigators as one of the key figures behind Malta’s infamous police overtime scandal has been sentenced to five years in prison, as reported by Times of Malta.

Norman Xuereb was found guilty of fraud and making false declarations in connection with an overtime racket linked to the Marsa flyover project, which saw police officers claim payments for work that was never carried out.

The scandal first came to light in 2020 after an anonymous whistleblower alerted the police commissioner to suspicious overtime claims. What began as an investigation into the Traffic Section later expanded across multiple police departments, leading to dozens of arrests and resignations.

Investigators identified Xuereb, a police officer since 1996, as one of the central figures in the scheme. He was responsible for liaising with Infrastructure Malta and Transport Malta regarding payments connected to the project.

During court proceedings, it emerged that Xuereb received around €53,000 for extra duty works related to the Marsa flyover between 2018 and 2019.

He admitted that many of the overtime shifts had never actually taken place and acknowledged that he failed to verify whether officers listed on overtime rosters were present for duty.

The court heard how Xuereb certified invoices for work that was never performed, helping create a false paper trail used to justify payments.

Magistrate Marse Ann Farrugia found him guilty of fraud, making false declarations and committing a crime he was duty-bound to prevent.

Alongside the five-year prison sentence, the court ordered the confiscation of the €53,000 Xuereb earned through the scheme, with the money to be returned to the police corps.

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Riana Xerri

Riana is an American-Gozitan content creator and nurse. When she's not working, she's jetting off to see her favourite artists live in concert, capturing the magic of each experience.

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