1. Inspectors-general and inspectors shall examine all documents, records, entries and papers in the public administrations undergoing inspection, make copies thereof if they so choose and oversee the works, vehicles, hangars, warehouses or any other areas that fall under the inspecting authority’s scope of competence;
2. Inspectors-general and inspectors shall inspect matters of confidential nature and only make copies of the related documents by virtue of the Prime Minister’s authorization, following the competent minister’s approval;
3. Inspectors-general and inspectors shall ask staff questions and summon whoever they deem necessary to hear their testimony. Should any member of staff refuse to comply or obstruct the inspection, the inspector shall report them to the head of their administration and recommend that the necessary measures be taken against them. The competent administration must take action within 24 hours after receiving the report;
4. Inspectors-general and inspectors shall reserve the right to require employees to work outside official working hours and to suspend leave requests for the duration of the inspection. Moreover, all precautionary measures should be taken to ensure the integrity of the inspection, including temporarily suspending employees under inspection. These measures shall be communicated to the competent minister within 24 hours, in order for the latter to decide on the matter, as well as to the Central Inspection Director;
5. Inspectors-general and inspectors shall reserve the right to collect, if necessary, any verbal or written information that may facilitate their task from private institutions and individuals;
6. Inspectors-general and inspectors shall seek the assistance of experts on matters that require technical expertise, subject to the approval of the Central Inspection Director, who shall themselves appoint the experts and determine their renumeration when necessary, in line with the relevant budget allocations.
7. a. The inspector-general may impose, when necessary, either of the first two Grade I penalties provided for in Article 55 of Legislative Decree No. 112 of 12/06/1959 against any permanent staff in Category II or below, for committing significant violations or for obstructing the inspection, in line with the penalties that fall within the competence of the director-general, and in accordance with the provisions of Item 6 of Article 56 of the abovementioned Legislative Decree.
The inspector may, when necessary and for the same reasons, in line with the penalties that fall within the competence of directors and service chiefs, impose either of the aforementioned penalties on all permanent staff in Category III and below, in line with the provisions of paragraph (a) above.
The mandate granted to inspectors-general and inspectors shall cover all temporary employees, contractors, staff and wage earners in public administrations, as well as anyone who receives a salary or remuneration from the funds of these administrations, in line with the penalties provided for in the laws and regulations that govern them.
This mandate also covers full-time and temporary employees, contractors, staff and wage earners in public administrations, independent authorities and municipalities, as well as anyone who receives a salary or remuneration from the funds of these administrations, in line with the penalties provided for in the laws and regulations that govern them.
Should the laws and regulations mentioned in the two paragraphs above not include any disciplinary measures, the penalties provided for in Article 55 of the Code of Civil Servants shall apply.
In the event that employee categories cannot not be matched with public administration staff categories, the salaries and remunerations may be used as a basis for comparison.
b. Until the penalty card system is rolled-out, the inspector-general or inspectors shall solicit, in writing, the opinion of the employee’s direct superior with respect to the penalty they intend to impose on the said employee. As such, the direct superior shall advise on the proposed penalty, in written form, within 24 hours from the date of receipt of the proposal. Otherwise, their opinion shall be discarded.
c. The concerned person may contest the proposed penalty within 24 hours before the Central Inspection Board, through the competent inspector-general and within five days after they are notified of the sanction decision.
d. The Central Inspection Board shall look into the contestation according to regular due process. Should the employee’s contestation prove to be invalid, the penalty shall be aggravated.