Sant calls for inquiry at WSC

Labour leader Alfred Sant yesterday called for a public inquiry into affairs at the Water Services Corporation in the wake of a public quarrel between the chairman and his minister.

Dr Sant claimed that two contractors who were given most of the corporation's contracts were falling behind in their work and increasing the expenditure.

Both Investments Minister Austin Gatt and corporation chairman Michael Falzon were aware of this, he said.

He claimed that one of the contractors was a well-connected Gozitan - a good friend of Gozo Minister Giovanna Debono and Roads Minister Jesmond Mugliett. This contractor was given the job at the Gozo waste treatment plant even though another company was prepared to do the work for Lm1.5 million less.

Dr Sant also said that Mr Falzon was aware of problems in the plant's concrete tanks, which were leading to leaks.

Those who awarded contracts to this contractor, who has two companies, were aware he could not keep up with the work. This includes work on the Manwel Dimech Bridge, which has also fallen behind, the MLP leader said.

Mr Falzon stepped down as WSC chairman earlier this month after receiving a letter from the minister strongly criticising the board's handling of cost overruns, but returned to his post after the government refused his resignation.

Referring to the resignation of Malta's ambassador to Ireland, Richard Muscat, Dr Sant said his party had the right to ask questions. Mr Muscat resigned after his son - who suffers from a mental health problem - was questioned by police in Ireland in connection with an alleged sexual assault and the story then surfaced in the Irish media. Dr Sant accused the government of hypocrisy for accusing others of insensitivity while not steering away from private matters. He said the Nationalist media made a show of him after he underwent eye surgery a few weeks ago. These, he said, were the same people who used documentation related to his annulment "in the most obscene way".

He said that between 1996 and 1998 private cheques of former parliamentary secretary Joe Cilia were stolen and published in a newspaper. He said that when contractor Carmelo Penza was going abroad recently with staff members, a Net Television crew was sent to film them.

Dr Sant also accused PBS news of manipulation in order to put the government in a good light while the MLP was either ignored or not given importance.

He also said he expected the National Euro Changeover Committee to have immediately issued a denial of comments attributed to its spokesman - not after three days. The spokesman was quoted by the Nationalist Party's media, before NECC said the partisan comments were not in fact made by its spokesman.