Sant unleashes scathing attack on new Sea Malta chairman

Opposition Leader Alfred Sant unleashed a scathing attack on newly appointed Sea Malta chairman Ivan Falzon yesterday, accusing him of being directly involved in the "botched" Brindisi port investment.

He said that in August 2004, the government had instructed Mr Falzon in his capacity as Mimcol chairman to cede a prime site in St Julians in order to raise Lm4 million to finance the Italian port.

Dr Sant disclosed a letter dated August 4, 2004 sent by the Finance Ministry and asking Mr Falzon to confirm Mimcol's "unequivocal agreement" to dispose of Mercury House with adjoining land in St Julians together with Pender Place.

The controversial privatisation of Sea Malta, coupled with chairman Marlene Mizzi's resignation, were high on the Labour leader's speech during a political activity in Valletta.

It did not take long for Dr Sant to take aim at Mr Falzon who only assumed his new seat at Sea Malta just four days ago.

He questioned Mr Falzon's credibility when on the one hand he had no qualms in approving a payment of Lm4 million to a port in Italy and yet he was now toeing the line of a government that believed there was no money to invest in Sea Malta.

Dr Sant asked whether some "blue-eyed boy" was buying the St Julians land in question and if Mr Falzon was aware of these "manoeuvres".

When contacted, Mr Falzon said he had only intervened as chairman of Mimcol to obtain a temporary loan to be used by the Freeport. "This is normal procedure," he said.

Mr Falzon pointed out that he was appointed as interim chairman of Sea Malta, pending the next annual general meeting on July 28.

On his part, Dr Sant claimed that a person responsible for Malta Freeport, and who also happened to be a friend of Government Investments Minister Austin Gatt, was responsible for the Brindisi deal.

"If the government intends to be arrogant with the ex-chairman of Sea Malta, then the MLP intends to be arrogant with people that are disposing of the country's national interest in the rubbish bin," the Labour leader charged.

Dr Sant said the insinuations that former Sea Malta chairman Marlene Mizzi had relayed confidential information to the Labour Party was wrong.

He said he was receiving confidential information from disgruntled "top people" in the administration and in the Nationalist Party that had had enough of the government.

He accused Dr Gatt of making a hotchpotch of all investments, adding that at this rate he would soon have no more investments to administer.

Despite having a new face at the helm, the government was still littered with the same ministers whose only interest was to cling on to power. "They are being arrogant just to conceal their incompetence," he said.

MLP deputy leader Michael Falzon rallied support for next week's vote on the European Constitution in the MLP general conference.

He said the party had had an open and democratic discussion on the European Constitution. He urged delegates to come out with a clear unequivocal vote on the Constitution so that the party would look forward and not backwards.

The general conference should provide an opportunity for discussion and not division, Dr Falzon said.