Juan Ameen
PM defends Finance Minister's trip with casino contender
The Prime Minister yesterday staunchly defended Finance Minister Tonio Fenech who travelled to London to watch a football match in a private jet owned by one of the bidders for the Dragonara Casino.
In March, Mr Fenech accepted an invitation by businessman Joe Gasan to watch his favourite football team, Arsenal, and travelled to London with Tumas Group's private jet.
Lawrence Gonzi insisted yesterday at a party meeting in Żurrieq that claims of a possible conflict of interest formed part of a mud-slinging campaign by parties who wanted to influence the government's decision on who would get the licence to run the casino.
Tumas Group is one of the three bidders for the 10-year lease of the Dragonara Casino in St Julians.
Referring to media reports, Dr Gonzi denied any conflict of interest and pointed out that Mr Fenech had asked for permission before accepting the invitation.
The media over the weekend reported extensively on a PN parliamentary group meeting on Saturday, which ended up in "a shouting match" involving backbenchers Robert Arrigo and Beppe Fenech Adami.
Among other things, the parliamentary group discussed in detail the lotteries and gaming Bill and Dr Gonzi denied there were any problems among the group about the matter, saying he was satisfied with the common ground they had reached on the Bill.
Addressing a Labour public meeting yesterday, leader Joseph Muscat accused Dr Gonzi of making a U-turn on the proposed regulations for the gaming industry after pressure from his parliamentary group. But the Finance Ministry denied any U-turn and pointed out that the changes would bring about harsher regulations to protect vulnerable people.
Dr Gonzi had harsh words for the PL's motion on the Delimara extension tabled in Parliament which, he said, attempted to influence the Auditor General's investigations.
Dr Gonzi said it was ironic that the opposition had filed a motion to discuss the controversial extension after Public Affairs Committee Chairman Charles Mangion requested the Auditor to investigate.
Speaking about next year's budget, Dr Gonzi reiterated his promise not to add any taxes and said it would focus on people in need while creating incentives for more foreign and local direct investment.
He said the government had a long list of projects lined up for next year and added that Valletta would be the main focus of capital projects.
Dr Gonzi, who was being interviewed by PBS journalist Keith Demicoli, was reminded about projects that had been promised, such as Ċirkewwa, and others that had failed, like the regeneration of the Ta' Qali Crafts Village.
Although he did not give any deadline for the long-promised Ċirkewwa terminal, Dr Gonzi said it would be ready by the end of this legislature. However, funds still had to be found, he said. Similarly, the government failed to get EU funds for the crafts village project but this did not mean the project had been shelved. He gave a tentative date - early 2010 - by which time the government would present the long-awaited draft legislation on in vitro fertilisation.
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Peter Bonnici
Oct 12th 2009, 22:26
With all due respect, Minister Fenech, you ought to have never accepted the invitation, especially when your host is a bidder for a major contract. Do you think the Fenechs and Gasans of this world invite you to watch football matches because you're some really nice chap who happens to support the same team? Or because they like your face more than the other guy's? What were you thinking? And what imbecilles do you make us out to be?
I bet the topic of the casino contract didn't even come up during the course of the trip.
Mark Cushcieri
Oct 12th 2009, 15:30
By not ridding these 'ministers' Gonzi is showing that he is an accomplice. end of discussion
victor borg
Oct 12th 2009, 15:09
every body is forgetting that pn back benchers first complained about tonio fenech going on
this trip and that was one reason why all the complaining last saturday among pn parliament
members apart of the power station extention fiasco
Jeremy J Camilleri
Oct 12th 2009, 13:57
I wonder.....if instead of a free flight, the Minister had been given an envelope with the money a flight costs, would that have been more serious?
P.Cassar
Oct 12th 2009, 12:32
THESE ARE THE VERY SAME PEOPLE WHO, MONTHS AGO, CRITICIZED LABOUR, IN OPPOSITION AND NOT IN GOVERNMENT, FOR SOMETHING REMOTELY SIMILAR.
Gonzipn still trying to take people for a ride.
A. Zahra
Oct 12th 2009, 11:59
Do non of you remember Mintoff's holidays on Cassar of Marsovin's yacht in the company of substantial businessmen and contractors?. Not even the Opposition had then alleged or implied corruption or clashes of interest. This because in little Malta everybody knows everybody else and everybody's standard of ethics. Of course for the last twenty years the Opposition has been alleging corruption and clashes of interest, which it has never even attempted to prove, in all government projects It is all a political game to dupe the uninformed and simple minded.
@ Ray Mangion
Do you not remember Sarkozy's post election private visit to Malta on the private yacht of a media mogul friend of his? Tutto il mondo e un paese.
R Calleja
Oct 12th 2009, 11:28
Yes very naive by the Minister. He should know a lot better. If he wanted to go and take his son to watch a football match he should just do like I and other taxpayers do - book a flight, buy the match tickets and go. It would have saved him all this embarassment and all the questions now being asked. It's one gaffe after another at the moment by this Government.
A.Calleja
Oct 12th 2009, 11:13
WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE KIDDING DR.GONZI ???????
Franco Farrugia
Oct 12th 2009, 10:57
It's a slippery slope, PM and Minister. Slippery slope. Politicians but especially members of the Government as well as members of the Judiciary need to learn how to be humble, how to lead humble lives and away from the spotlight. No, I do not think that people of good will were amused about this matter, PM! A minister on a private jet for a football match - u ejja, hallina! These remind me of other times, other Ministers ... other days!
M Borg
Oct 12th 2009, 10:27
Being an accountant himself Mr.Tonio Fenech should know better about code of ethics which refer specifically to the risk of bribes and gifts...
Ray Mangion
Oct 12th 2009, 10:09
It`s not surprising that this government sees nothing wrong with such an act. We want to be like give the impression that we are Europeans, but we can make our own rules and break them. Wake up guys; if this happened in the UK or anywhere else in Europe the minister will be made to resign with immediate effect.
I. Brincat
Oct 12th 2009, 10:02
Wouldn't it have been better if such an invitation was refused on the basis of a potential conflict of interest? Are Dr Fenech and Dr Gonzi so naive? High time for the setting up of a code of ethics. Its no wonder citizens are losing faith in the political class.