Mater Dei: relevant issues

I have taken note of what Dr Alfred Sant has been saying and writing since his press conference of September 26. In his last two columns in The Times, as well as in other fora, Dr Sant chose to increase the intensity of his personal diatribe against me.

In the interest of fairness, I want to set straight certain facts.

The contract between the Foundation for Medical Services (FMS) and Skanska-Malta Joint Venture (SMJV) was signed in February 2000 following negotiations, which had been taking place since 1998, after it was decided to change the plans for the new Tal-Qroqq hospital for the second time while, in both instances, retaining the services of the original contractor.

I was nominated to serve on the board of FMS by Minister Louis Deguara, in October 2000, eight months after the signing of this contract, and nearly four years before my cousin Dr Lawrence Gonzi became Prime Minister. I have been serving on the board to the best of my abilities ever since.

In 2002 the FMS board also appointed me chairman of the New Hospital sub-committee, having also served as a member in 2001. Together with the other Finance Operations sub-committee, the sub-committee's remit was to get to grips with the contractor's proposals and operations vis-à-vis the contract - precursors to the Government negotiating team. Such an exercise served the important purpose of highlighting the contractual problems and constraints affecting the project.

Based on the conclusions reached by these sub-committees, Government and FMS proceeded on an agreed line of action, and following the completion of a 'gap analysis' report compiled by FMS's financial consultant, the new Prime Minister held a meeting with top Skanska officials.

It was at this point, last June, as a result of my having been continuously and actively involved in issues related to the new hospital, that I was asked to serve on the Government negotiating team.

I look forward to the moment when my role and contribution both within the board of FMS as well as within the negotiating team can be made public - something which at present Dr Sant knows is not possible due to the delicate nature of the present situation.

Since my abilities, competence and experience have been called into question, I must say something about myself. I founded the architectural and engineering consultancy firm Paul Camilleri & Associates 17 years ago and it now has a complement of ten employees. I graduated 27 years ago, also obtaining a post-graduate qualification in 1981 from the Milan Polytechnic, and have worked on large projects in Belgium, Libya, Saudi Arabia and Malta.

I have always taken my responsibilities as an architect, as member and president of the Kamra tal-Periti, as a Warranting Board member, as an FMS board member, and as a Government negotiating team member very seriously and carried out my duties to the best of my abilities without fear or favour.

Until Dr Sant's personal attacks on me, no-one, including any member of the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC), who scrutinised FMS's and the Tal-Qroqq hospital's operations, has ever questioned or cast any shadow of a doubt on the conduct and actions of myself or the FMS board, let alone of being responsible for any "mess" ("tahwid") at the Mater Dei Hospital, as claimed by Dr Sant.

As regards 'star' payments, Dr Sant could have verified their fairness with consultants he has faith in. He could easily have verified whether my hourly charge-out rate for these services was a fair and reasonable rate, by asking a reputable firm of consultants the Labour Party has engaged during the past two years, and who charge similar prevalent rates even to Government entities; rates which are derived from an assessment of a firm's overheads and the respective role of that person within the organisation.

I am not a person in public life and resent being used as a pawn in the political agenda of the Leader of the Opposition. I am humble enough to realise that his target is not I but the Government, and in particular my cousin, the Prime Minister; but the casualties are the country's interest as a whole and the lives of people like me.

I have always worked in my profession with honesty and integrity. I owe my reputation to these qualities and not to anything else. Dr Sant wrote that "prevalent values... must now be based on a serious purpose, accountability and a merit that is measured transparently". I have always been guided by these principles in my profession. In 27 years of professional practice I have built a clientele of private firms solely through my endeavours and these qualities.

Dr Sant knows perfectly well, as do all my colleagues and other professionals in any field, that being a member of a board such as FMS is invariably a thankless task - it takes one away from other more profitable work, from administering one's own professional office, from one's family. It is not a lucrative construction contract or commission.

It carries with it enormous responsibility. It occupies an inordinate amount of time with board meetings, sub-committee meetings, ad hoc meetings, briefing meetings, selection committees, being convened to meetings at night in Parliament, not to mention the baggage of thoughts and problems one constantly carries around - all this for standard honoraria received by all board members, and not for 'star' payments.

The bitter irony of it all is to then be mauled about in the media in such a violent and intimidatory manner, with the likes of Manwel Cuschieri faithfully following Dr Sant's line, continuously hammering and prompting chat show listeners on the radio to comment on 'dak il-kugin ta' Gonzi' (my identity having been lost at this stage); with my photo prominently featured on the front page of last Sunday's KullHadd and on the Super One news bulletins, and full page adverts in l-Orizzont.

I have, however, been heartened by numerous private expressions of support, among them from people involved with the Labour Party, including Members of Parliament and journalists.