Updated: Police asked to investigate fraud in Manwel Dimech bridge certification

Vince Pace

Oct 18th 2008, 16:55

Too late for a retraction to have an effect, Dr Gatt. The initial press release was nothing but an exercise in mud slingling just because, the bridge happened to have been rebuilt under Perit Mugliett's tenure.
Robert Sant's reputation was put under scrutiny for no reason at all, especially as he was the one to flag the problem., Disgusting behaviour from the ministry methinks !

V Fenech

Oct 18th 2008, 16:20

Yes Mater Dei is a state of the art. I have been there and I'm very satisfied. I am no red-spectacled as you may think. I simply think that Gonzi should have admitted that they must have thought of introducing environmental-friendly systems in it. I can't see how this statement could make me seen as wearing a red spectacles!

V Fenech

Oct 18th 2008, 16:17

@ Kevin Borg

Overseeing/ watching over/ supervising seem to have different meanings for you. The Government should in any case choose a right person to assist the works on the behalf of the government. And this should not only be bound with managerial issues but also applied to the working levels. The prime minister himself used to give out press conferences and explanations about such project. Does it sound funny to you that while Gonzi was giving out his statements, there could have been someone frauding the project???

The Eurozone was the one last final option for any Government. The negotiations were done in such way and we had to conform with them. As I have noticed from your comment, you seem to be conscious of what is happening around us. Everyone has agreed that our economy will not be affected by the international disaster brought about by the conservatives' liberalisation back in the 70's. So can you explain to me why our economy has gone back to the 2004 situation which Dr.Gonzi described as "very bad"???

Kevin Borg

Oct 18th 2008, 12:51

@ V.Fenech

Can you please enlighten us what could the goverment do to prevent someone from frauding the documents? If I am not mistaken the role of the goverment should be to oversee and not to control.

As for your comments re Dr.Gonzi, I agree with you that Dr.Gonzi has done a couple of mistakes while in office and some of them, like the proposed new tariffs amaze you when thay come from a person that guided really well a country into the Euro zone. But his counter part in the last election was far more prone to making mistakes and his track record proved this very well.

Although on the last point I agree with you, on your comments re the hospital I fully disagree. Unfortunatly a family member was last month admitted to Mater Dei and the service he received was exeptional and improvemt in the environment really helps the patient to recover. The part time comment is unjust, baised and clearly the fruit of uninformed persons. Ray Gatt may be blue-blinded but I think you should take off those red spectacles, especially now that even Dr.Muscat seems to have thrown them away.

V Fenech

Oct 18th 2008, 08:36

Seriously blue-blinded apologists like Ray Gatt can't even come to light what PN's strategy is made of in purpose to deviate the public from other severe concerns.

The thing that worries me in these days is that whenever there's a government project, there's always some sort of flop, scandal or farse. There's an endless list where Gonzipn has shown his complete incompetence, starting from the energy subisdy schemes and the ministry's massive expenditure and continues up to the Pharmacy of your choice.

This week we has the pm boasting about a hospital which took 24 years to be finished as a part-time hospital. He missed to talk about JPO, but anyway, this is what worries me much!

M Borg

Oct 18th 2008, 08:26

fairy tails always end:

"and they lived happily every after"

we are living in a modern fairy tale.

Alexandra Borg

Oct 17th 2008, 20:41

Oh how very convenient for this story to appear during this time for Min Gatt.... maybe people will not pay too much attention to the MITTS Ltd. story and what went on this week at parliament. What do these people think we are? Idiots?

K Xuereb

Oct 17th 2008, 11:44

@ all those who are lauding Alfred Sant as being prophetic.

Don't you think that such a damning e-mail wouldn't have been leaked in the election campaign? It couldn't possibly be because the e-mail in question is dated 22nd March, AFTER the MLP was told to stay put where it belongs by the voters..

Another 'feather' in Dr Sant's cap is that the target of his accusations at the time was Architect Robert Sant. Now it transpires that this piece of 'creative engineering' was done behind his back and he was the one who found out and reported the matter. An ostrich plume, not a mere feather is in order here for the good Doctor.

Congrats to Minister Gatt for acting swiftly and nip this thing in the bud.

Rita Spiteri

Oct 17th 2008, 11:40

@V Fenech
You asked what I thought well. here it is I think that I would make a better Prime minister than both of them

Joseph Vella

Oct 17th 2008, 11:20

Why do we need to politicise everything? All this boils down to is that we the tax payers have to keep forking out money to meet the costs of these so called projects which if really analysed by our so called experts would definitely have cost much less. And then what happens? Our big head Austin Gatt squeezes the life out of us taxpayers by putting up the water/electricity tariffs and so on. Anybody read the foreign newspapers today? Britian is reducing it water/electricty tariffs! Hey don't you realize that theyb are trying to blindfold us with all these queries all of a sudeen.

Ray Gatt

Oct 17th 2008, 11:02

@ I Abela - Dreeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaammmmmm, dream dream dreeeeaaaam, dreeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaammmmmm, dream dream dream ...........as the song goes. MLP - not even decent as opposition. They think opposition means opposing all the govt. does and says. I suggest you go hibernate, wake up in four and a half years time when you'll have to brush of the dirt off your clothes yet again. By the way, have all the bruises and scratches healed by now? LOL

Ian Sammut Dacoutros

Oct 17th 2008, 09:20

@ I Abela - My good Sir / Madam - I suspect that you may have gotten your recent history slightly off - let me remind you.

MLP has a real nack at opposition. Basically they oppose anything and everything. Naturally a detailed comparrison is not possible here due to space constrictions but I will pick on one point only - the Euro. Had we listened to the dearly Dear Dr. Sant, Malta would be up poop creek with this financial hell the world is going through, just look at Iceland for a second - now it is regretting and thinking of joining the EU and Euro.

The difference between the PN and MLP at a core level is that on is a positive thinking party and the other a negative. One looks at Malta and the Maltese and says we can, we are capable and the other keeps the old cry of 'help us help us we are too small to survive'.

The PN believes in youth and their abilities - MLP, hehehehe, lets just say that they dont.

I challenge you to tell me otherwise.

albert fiorentino

Oct 17th 2008, 08:44

@I Abela
Apart from the fact that what you wrote has no relevance to the article above, I just could not believe what you have written, to sum it all up a bunch of contradictions. According to you the PN wanted to lose the elections and yet won ,what does that say to Labour ...incompetence?

Then you go on to write..quote"They will be remembered as the party who nailed the citizens to the cross, through taxes, energy prices, inflation, corruption, broken promises, no economic growth (if not a recession in the coming months) etc etc etc. Now who would be such an idiot to want to govern the country through a global financial crisis? "

Taxes, energy prices, inflation, no economic growth and yet you say there is a global financial crisis..no comment .
What broken promises exactly? As to corruption ..to date they have always been investigated and will continue to be.
BTW I havent mentioned the past .
Also as Ive said before, early elections are wishful thinking so please get over your post election blues.

charles marsh

Oct 17th 2008, 08:34

Hope we are not taking action only because those involved are not Maltese and not friends of anyone in high places!!!

l Galea

Oct 17th 2008, 07:42

This only shows lack of control by those responsible to do it and accepted the test reports when they were not present when the supposed tests were made.

They must be made to pay personally for any tests that may be required and any connected expenses.

Heads must start rolling.

T Farrugia

Oct 17th 2008, 06:56

what else do you want? the minister is taking action against fraud. and to people who say this is only in Malta seriously need to watch international news!!!!! it seems like everyone blames everything on Gonzi!!! If the engineer frauded, he is to blame not Gonzi!!!!!

Antoine Grima

Oct 17th 2008, 01:19

Can't we do anything right ? What is happening with the tax payers money ? Am i to understand that while i am struggling to make ends meet somebody is having fun spending my money , BADLY.But than again , this is Malta

P. Schembri

Oct 16th 2008, 23:42

I think this is some of Alfred Sant's mudslinging result!!!!

Edward Zammit

Oct 16th 2008, 21:19

Is this another one of those orchestrated moves by Austin? May be a tentative to make us forget about his stupidest Energy tariffs...Heeeeello, people wake up!!!...Does he think we're stupid or what? Austin we're not impressed at all.

I Abela

Oct 16th 2008, 21:14

@ All Diehard Nationalists - Defending the current government by comparing it with the MLP in the 70's and 80's isn't very progressive isn't it? I wonder if anyone of you ever heard of the saying that ' Two wrongs don't make one right '. Also for those who think that the election is 4 years away, THINK AGAIN. The PN administration didn't want to win this election, but they worked very hard to avoid a Tkaxkira, but they ended up working harder than MLP and still won the election by a couple of votes. This legislature is a nightmare for the PN administration. They will be remembered as the party who nailed the citizens to the cross, through taxes, energy prices, inflation, corruption, broken promises, no economic growth (if not a recession in the coming months) etc etc etc. Now who would be such an idiot to want to govern the country through a global financial crisis? PN was trying to play a dirty game. Making us beleive that we have FINANZI FIS-SOD, so when Labour won the government and start complaining about the hofra, PN would say that they left the FINANZI FIS-SOD and MLP spent everything AGAIN.

malcolm seychell

Oct 16th 2008, 21:03

By far Austin is the best minister with Dalli.

I cannot imagine for a second the PN without them.

V Fenech

Oct 16th 2008, 20:44

It is once again evident that Karl Abela is still lost in the election euphoria. Can't you recognise that this is another stupid manoeuvre intended to deviate our attention from Austin's incompetence.

Rita Spiteri's words force laughter to my face. The only thing which made the past different is that such muck did not happen during labour's administration. Perit Mintoff himself used to visit such projects while his ministers journeyed all around the Maltese Islands to see that things went all right. Not the same could be said for the PN administration which tends to leave everything to the markets! Such performance was dominant during Raegan's time and it proved a complete disaster.

Making Austin a Prime Minister could also help us to arrive at the previously mentioned situation. I suggest John Dalli, what do you think??

Vincent Mercieca

Oct 16th 2008, 20:27

I have a gut feeling that the outcome of the investigation will be that “no one is to blame” and “everything was perfect; in order and above board” LOL

Charles Micallef

Oct 16th 2008, 19:39

This was chicken feed when compared with the Mater Dei project,
or have we already forgotten?

ray pace

Oct 16th 2008, 19:31

Austin.....Well done once more. One should criticise if action hadn't been taken not that the Minister took action. These things happen worldwide. What is wrong is when such actions are done and they are not reported to the relevant authorities for action. Yes, FLIMKIEN KOLLOX POSSIBBLI means also that if everyone does his bit to curb this culture (instead of moaning) the country would be much better.

Rita Spiteri

Oct 16th 2008, 19:27

@Charles Camilleri
What worries me more is when such things are institutionalized with Govt turning a blind eye as used to happen in the past under Labour Govt.
When was there ever an investiation about government overspending in these last 20 years. I think the question should have been something like this:What worries me more is when such things are institutionalized with Govt turning a blind eye as used to happen in the last 50/60/70/ or more years.It is only now that we have a minister with guts to investigate these things WELL DONE Dr Gatt in my opinion you should be Prime minister.

Karl Abela

Oct 16th 2008, 19:12

Those cowboys of that pre 1997 generation are still here with us today and occasionally some still have it their way.

So for heavens sake, lets not try to take political advantage by comments that are absolutely uncalled for and that can fire back hard... at least respect the political party that you 'represent'. If there are MLP supporters who still cannot accept the election defeat, then its high time they start working on it. MLP is trying to reform the way it tackles politics, but the followers are not really following the party anymore and prefer to keep the criticise & destruct campaign.

Lets grow up and talk substance for a change.

Daniel Dimech

Oct 16th 2008, 18:44

Pajjiz tal-Biki, mhux ta b'xejn jonqsu in-nies li jmorru jivvotaw!!!!!! Austin ghadna ma nsejniex it-tariffi kemm huma ebsin! Ma ddevjatnix .....

Peter Attard

Oct 16th 2008, 18:40

Naughty, naughty boys! Line up for your slaps on the bottom and suspended sentences.

Josep Cauchi

Oct 16th 2008, 18:35

Once, the President John F. Kennedy was criticised by his stand on Cuba, when the Soviet Union had installed nuclear missiles on Cuba. The President reacted by enforcing the famous sea blockade of Cuba in 1962.

President Kennedy responded by asking "Whom are you blaming, the robber or the one who caught the robber?" ! ! !

I think this reply is in place vis-a-vis Dr. Austin Gatt.

.

albert fiorentino

Oct 16th 2008, 18:21

Its really incredible how some of you jump to conclusions .I am referring to how ADT obtained information regarding this alleged fraud.Im sure that this will surface in due time.
How can anyone of you judge anything without knowing the exact facts but then again most of you seem to have an axe to grind with this government and anything that happens is its (government) fault.
Dr Austin Gatt is doing a great job for this country and I pity the likes of him because whatever he does as the saying goes "damned if he does damned if he doesnt"
Im sure that if or when Dr Musact starts the promised earthquake this will all go away ...Yeah right !!!!!!

Charles Camilleri

Oct 16th 2008, 18:19

Though Scandals and abuses are to be condemned they do not worry me much so long as the take the appropriate action against the culprit. If one follow foreign news these things happen every second in every country. What worries me more is when such things are institutionalized with Govt turning a blind eye as used to happen in the past under Labour Govt. Once Govt take the appropriate action it should be applauded. However the fact that abuses seem to be frequent calls for more harsher penalties for the culprit as deterrent . Well done Dr A. Gatt. You act without fear or favour.

Dave Pulis

Oct 16th 2008, 18:12

Mr. Camilleri seems a modern Mintoffjan of the Nationalist Party!

Etienne Psaila

Oct 16th 2008, 18:08

No wonder we are in number 36 in the list of corrupt countries. Probably we bribed that too otherwise we would be in a lower position. Well done...flimkien kollox possibli hux...Nahseb ovju, l-istress fuq FLIMKIEN ghandu jkun....

a camilleri

Oct 16th 2008, 18:07

Oh DR Clive etc etc etc...

ara jiena la ghandi dottorati, la nissejjah Dottoressa, u l-ebda ittri wara ismi! Xorta kuntenta ghal grazzja t'Alla.

2ndly. I am not a he but a she!

3rd.. You misunderstood my whole point. Maybe the DOCTOR does not really make a real difference.

Vincent Galea

Oct 16th 2008, 17:58

Malta. G.C............Malta General Commission ... (.with emphasis on General.)

Dr Clive Aquilina Spagnol

Oct 16th 2008, 17:57

Mr. A Camilleri's emotional comment, also written in Maltese for an English paper, deserves clarity. His contribution is so much emotionally biased in favour of the government that he is missing the point of some contributors that are irritated by the fact that despite the checks and controls carried out by the government, the latter still ended up being fooled. His comment misses the real point here because it's simply not based on rationality.

Personally I feel greatly concerned with this bribery outcome. If we didn't have controls, the solution would be simpler. But having checks, controls, and more appropriately, an Authority, and the bribery and fraud still took place...hmmm then the problem is even worse and not as easy to tackle. It's a case of having indeed the preventive mechanisms in place but they are simply not working. Poor Mr Camilleri is so outrageously happy that he let his emotions to kick in when in the end the harm which had to be done, has already been done!

j.cutajar

Oct 16th 2008, 17:47

This will proof that Dr Alfred Sant was correct before the last general Elections that something was going wrong in this project. The cost was increasing day by day and I thing to hide this from the Govt altered the results of certification tests.
So first we had 20,000 passwords copied. Now the fraud on the Bridge. What else Dr Gonzi?
Who is going to take responsability from your cabinet? I....... thing no one.The cittadin will pay from taxes and tariffs imposed after the budget.
FLIMKIEN KOLLOX POSSIBBLI!!!!!!

l Galea

Oct 16th 2008, 17:46

"Am I being paranoid, or does it seem that our privacy is being invaded all the time and that we are being continuously watched by Big Brother on the net?"

Kmieni stenbaħt!

All of us are being monitored on e-mails, web surfing and websites visited, home telephones, faxes, mobiles, you name it, and the information is kept by the internet service provider for at least 2 and a half years.

This is all ordered by the eu in the name of terrorism prevention.

The eu knows that so many people are fed up with it that it ordered monitoring of all activities by the citizens because for its petty dictators we are all potential terrorists.

A Camilleri

Oct 16th 2008, 17:40

Imbghad iridu lil Austin Gatt jirrizenja!!!!

Tafu xi tridu jew? Daqqa tghidulu gaffa, daqqa li hu selvagg! Illum uriekom li mieghu HADD ma jiccajta, lanqas jekk tkun bi skoss ittri wara ismek, jew xi inginier!

X'ridtu, li jibqa kollox mistur??? Dal gvern qed juri l'kulhadd x'inhi s-serjeta'! Mela issa m'ghadkomx tghajjtu bil-korruzzjoni. Issa ghax qed jikxef qed tghajtu foul??

Prosit Austin kompli hekk!

You are the people's hero!

... u ghal dawk li qed joholmu b'elezzjoni, nitlobom jistennew mill-inqas 4 snin ohra! M'hemmx x'taghmel....

Pete Tanti

Oct 16th 2008, 17:40

Dr Gonzi must be cursing the moment his party was re-elected by a handful of votes! Nothing seems to be going right for him and his party and Malta is fast becoming as scandal-ridden as nearby Sicily in the Mafia heydays. We have never had so many scandals mushrooming from every sphere of the administration - not even in the old Labour days.

J Martinelli

Oct 16th 2008, 17:37

@ Franco Farrugia

You should be forever complaining about speeders, robbers, murderers, cheaters, liars, adulterers, etc. You would lead a very miserable life.

Criminal offences should not be condoned but one should only complain when a known offense takes place and no action is taken.

Henrik Piski

Oct 16th 2008, 17:32

The best thing is that with the last heavy rain, there was a lake of water on the bridge almost at the same place as on the old one. It is a hard job to build a bridge...

edoardo del ceppo

Oct 16th 2008, 17:30

thanks to mitts now Austin gatt knows where to get the 55 million to subsidise the water and electricity cost .

stop these scandals and you end up giving us even a pay rise .

john bundy is a spot on composer

PAJJIZ TAL MIKIMOUSE

albert fiorentino

Oct 16th 2008, 17:25

@ I Abela

Keep on dreaming or better still keep on clutching at straws, its so better than reality dont you think?

M D Fenech

Oct 16th 2008, 17:24

When the bridge was being built, first it took a long time, then as the election was near works were being done at a very fast pace. Jew nej jew mahruq! What will happen now? Another 2 years to rebuilt it? And who is going to pay? Oh silly Us!!!
PS I would like the minister to investigate the allegations made by Dr Frank Portelli re Mater Dei to see about the fenominal amount spent to build Mater Dei Hospital. It is a state of the art hospital, but everyone can guess that the amount does not add up to the expenses spent.

Paul Borg

Oct 16th 2008, 17:23

Whilst congratulating all those concerned for uncovering what seems a dirty job, I am somewhat worried as to how this thing has been uncovered.

"E-mails between the certifying engineer and the contractor showed that the engineer was asked to test the steel beams to confirm tension of up to 105%. He then said that as agreed on the phone, he would pretend that the test was made over the Easter holidays - when the ADT official was not on site - and alter the figures."

From the report above, it seems as though the story got uncovered after someone read this email. This happened just after the MITTS scandal. Am I being paranoid, or does it seem that our privacy is being invaded all the time and that we are being continuously watched by Big Brother on the net?

edoardo del ceppo

Oct 16th 2008, 17:22

is this a joke or true

From one scandal to another . We seem that we are living in a jungle book .

I congratulate Dr Gonzi cause he managed to spot the right slogan

FLIMKIEN KOLLOX POSSIBLI

Claudia Peco

Oct 16th 2008, 17:20

Prosit to the Minister responsible - hope that the police would do their jobs well and the fraudster penalised.

I Abela

Oct 16th 2008, 17:16

This is not the beginning, it is not the end, and it is not the beginning of the end. We are witnessing the end of the end. The general election is not very far away.

Jeffrey Cauchi

Oct 16th 2008, 17:08

No surprise that this happens in a country where everything is POSSIBLE!

Franco Farrugia

Oct 16th 2008, 16:58

@ Jean-Pierre Aquilina - Only a fool does not complain, when we see such fraud and deception going on, at the expense of the people! Yours included. No wonder people get rich quickly!

Jean-Pierre Aquilina

Oct 16th 2008, 16:54

Why complain when the Minister has taken appropriate action?

Dr Clive Aquilina Spagnol

Oct 16th 2008, 16:48

First we read about how an ex-Chief Justice and another judge were bribed....then about the bribery of an engineer in such a mega project....

This merely shows how cancerous fraud and bribery are in Malta.....when will the words 'independent' and 'impartial' become part of our life? No ray of light yet.

Carmelo Borg Pisani

Oct 16th 2008, 16:45

NOTHING in this country seems to be going the right way.