Ministry for Home Affairs and OPM receive most complaints

Of the 520 cases, 336 were investigated by the Parliamentary Ombudsman, 7% less than 2016, 83 by the Commissioner for Health, in the same level of the previous year, 62 by the Commissioner for Environment and Planning, a 13% increase on 2016 and 39 by the Commissioner for Education, 34% less than the previous year.

In 2017, apart from the written complaints, the Office handled 484 enquiries, a drop of 16% when compared to 2016 (579) whereas the number of written complaints handled by the Parliamentary Ombudsman, during 2017 decreased by 7% (25) from 361 in 2016 to 336 in 2017.

The Ministry for Home Affairs and National Security (MHAS) and the departments under its portfolio attracted the most number of complaints received. In all it attracted 43 complaints of which 16 (37%) were investigated with the department involved, and 27 (63%) were not.

The Police Force had 20 complaints or 46.5% of the complaints received, while the Armed Forces of Malta attracted 13 complaints or 30% of the complaints received against a department or an entity which falls under the MHAS portfolio.

The Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) attracted the second largest number of complaints received.

From the 336 cases received by the Ombudsman, 40 cases (12%) were against a department or authority which falls under the OPM. From the 40 complaints lodged, 22 were investigated, and the remaining 18 were either concluded without an investigation or were investigated without involving the department concerned.