It has now been 24 hours since The Times of Malta exposed one of the most serious academic scandals in recent years — the University of Malta “mistakenly” classifying an undergraduate teaching degree as a postgraduate one between 2010 and 2013. Four hundred graduates were given incorrect transcripts, misled about their qualification, and left in the dark. The Commissioner for Education within the Ombudsman’s Office confirmed this in a damning report.
For three whole years this “mistake” was allowed to continue unchecked. Not three days, not three weeks, but three years. And who was at the helm of the University of Malta during this shameful period? None other than Professor Juanito Camilleri.
Professor Juanito Camilleri
The silence is deafening. Until now, not a word from Camilleri. Not a shred of accountability. Not even the courtesy of an explanation to the hundreds of students whose lives and careers may have been affected. Instead, the University of Malta opted for the coward’s route — the “let sleeping dogs lie” option, hoping the truth would remain buried.
Let us be very clear: this is not a minor administrative blunder. This is a gross betrayal of trust by Malta’s highest educational institution, and the responsibility falls squarely on the Rector of the time. Camilleri was not an innocent bystander. He was Rector, a position of leadership, entrusted with safeguarding the reputation of the University and protecting its students. Instead, this so-called leader presided over an academic farce.
This is the same Juanito Camilleri who for years strutted in the public domain as an academic authority, a technocrat, and a close ally of the Defnisti. He was an advisor to Lawrence Gonzi, and always hovering near the corridors of power. Yet when it comes to real responsibility — when hundreds of young Maltese and Gozitans are left with tainted qualifications — Camilleri disappears into silence.
Where is his sense of duty? Where is the integrity he so often preaches? How does he justify three years of deceit, covered up with a shrug and a belated “top-up course” scheduled conveniently for 2026? Will Camilleri personally face the students whose careers were stalled, whose opportunities were limited, and whose lives were disrupted because of his University’s negligence?
Professor Camilleri, you cannot run from this scandal. It happened on your watch. You were Rector. The buck stops with you.
The people of Malta, and most importantly, the hundreds of graduates you failed, deserve an answer.
So we ask you directly: how will you be taking responsibility for this scandal?
