Prime Minister Robert Abela this morning announced that his government has recommended a Presidential pardon for three students and a University of Malta lecturer charged in relation to ethical hacking activities.
The decision, he said, fulfils a political commitment to deliver justice.
The students had reported a security vulnerability in Malta’s student app, FreeHour, in 2022.
They were later charged with unauthorised access after requesting a bug bounty, a common practice in ethical hacking. Their lecturer, who had reviewed the email they sent to the app’s developers, was charged as an accomplice.
In his statement, the Prime Minister said the students and their lecturer acted with good intentions and should not have been left to face criminal proceedings alone.
He stated that the State must address such realities, and used the Cabinet’s prerogative to recommend clemency.
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The announcement was made by the Parliamentary Secretary for Local Government, Alison Zerafa Civelli, alongside the Director General of the Local Government Division, Emil Vassallo.
She explained that these activities will receive direct government funding of €650,000, which will be added to the €550,000 already allocated during the first phase of cultural activities organised by Local Councils.
