Danish police report on BWSC published
The Danish police investigating the company which has been given the contract for the Delimara power station in 2004 had concluded that “there is no probable cause that a criminal offence, which could be pursued by the public authorities, has been committed”.
The Infrastructure Ministry this morning published the original letter from the Police Commissioner, as well as a translation.
Labour leader Joseph Muscat yesterday presented the auditor general with investigations carried out by a Danish newspaper which concluded that the company had used bribery to win contracts abroad.
Dr Gatt wrote to the company requesting it to explain the situation to the Auditor General.
The company replied denying the claims and said that a police investigation at the time had concluded that the accusations were without merit. This morning, it sent a copy of the police report to the minister.
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Joe E Galea
Nov 30th 2009, 08:25
@R Spiteri: As usual you don't get your facts right. The Dainish police can't prosecute the company as prior to 2000 the Danish Law didn't consider bribery outside the country as a criminal offence. So please get real.
Thi is another stinky fish in the PN's pot of blunders.
Jeremy J Camilleri
Nov 29th 2009, 14:15
Joe Vella...If empty promises bother you, why are you still A pn stooge?
Joe Vella
Nov 28th 2009, 20:35
The only bribery that have been committed lately is the empty promises that have been made to you by Joseph Muscat and the PL towards your cause. At the end Maltese Society will not accept it, and Joseph Muscat knows it well. One cannot believe how Gullible you are to believe at face value Joseph Muscat empty promises.
V Battistino
Nov 28th 2009, 18:20
@ A Borg
correction on your last sentence : that quote is from "The Leopard" - "Il Gattopardo" - and certainly not Evarist's !
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and on the issue of past happenings, in the 96-98 Labour Gov't, had we not a Minister resigning ? Is he therefore condemned forever ? two weights two measures PL
A. Zahra
Nov 28th 2009, 17:47
This is nothing more than an other episode in the game of political dishonesty the MLP are masters at. Joe Muscat is a worthy successor of Alfred Sant and by the looks of it he is going to be as successful as his former master..
C. camilleri
Nov 28th 2009, 17:07
What is keeping the government from discussing the power station motion requested by the PL?
The sooner the discussion the better. Till then its all speculation from both sides.
Let's hear what both sides have to say in parliament not in the papers.
A.Gauci Cunningham
Nov 28th 2009, 17:02
The police letter speaks about ONE of the various cases unveiled by the influential business newspaper the "Borse" ( not L-Orizzont or it-Torca please note but a foreign newspaper!!!) and says that Police action will not be taken in that case. In no part of the letter does it exclude that there had been corrupt practices.
Now for some questions to the those on the verge of parading----
Why did the company not give info. about the various allegations about contracts in the Philippines, Bahamas and Sri lanka??
Is it true that INTERNAL investigations before May 2000 conclude that BWSC had been involved in bribery???
Is it true that gatt sent the letter to Sorem Barkholt?? is it true Mr.Barkholt was implicated in a case in the Philippines?
Is it true that Mitsui, the mother company, had some of its officials arrested???
Why did Austin Gatt sign this contract behind everyone's back??? Why did he not invite the media??
Is it true that Malta's laws were changed to accomodate BWSC?? Yes or no??
....If you're capable of giving these answers then, yes, The "Borse" is lying and Muscat's naive.....if not then you're just bluffing and "parading" for nothing!!!
J.Tonna
Nov 28th 2009, 16:49
I understand that Joseph and Varist have proof of what they are saying in their hands. Are they prepared to hand them over to the Auditor General for scrutiny??
If they do not appear when called by the auditor it will prove ...... no need to say it.
J. J. Borg
Nov 28th 2009, 16:22
This is a non-story unless corruption is proved in the way that the company operates in Malta. Too bad the Labour Party was not so proactive in chasing after corruption within its own ranks when it was still in government in the 1970s and 80s.. It's not as if those involved in the party during those days are not around. Some of them remain paid-up members of the PL and one or teo may even become ministers if Labour wins the next election.
A. Borg
Nov 28th 2009, 16:21
Let's say that if the BWSC was corrupt in the past, then as per Joseph Muscat and Evarist Bartolo, their involvement in Malta is surely corrupt.... with the same argument, this means that if Joseph Muscat was against the European Union and that Evarist Bartolo was against stipends, it means that when they will be (this is a joke ta coz people are not stupid) one will be against Europe and the other will be against Stipends...
PL always says... the past is the past and let's look at the future.... so why are they questioning the past of BWSC?
Poor guys... as Evarist indeed said.... "Aktar ma l-affarijiet jinbidlu... aktar l-affarijiet jibqghu l-istess".... Evarist.... XEJ MA INBIDEL.... Nsomma Varist... same as the MCAST story!
P. Schembri
Nov 28th 2009, 16:17
I bet that if this case under a PL administration, there would have been hell to pay, with demonstrations, and what not. Why is it that the PL is trying to avoid the government falling into corruption, all PN apologists come out and defend it. Let's call a spade a spade, and all say that the opposition is doing its duty to defend our country from such practices. After all we are all Maltese.
Joe Vella
Nov 28th 2009, 15:56
@ Joe Cassar
"Observe the careful use of words "there is no probable cause that a criminal offence, which could be pursued by the public authorities, has been committed”.
All this means is that the company probably did not commit a crime which could be prosecuted in Denmark.
No, you observe carefully, What it means is that the Competent Authorities in Denmark found no wrong doing was committed. Period, Basta.
For Joseph Muscat and the PL and the Gloom and Doom seems that e very thing that moves is suspicious of corruption. One wonder if this perhaps is as a result of the culture that the PL functioned under in the past .
Perhaps, the least is said by Joseph Muscat and the Doom and Gloom crowd is the better. With every word uttered it simply zap a piece of the sorry mask that the PL carry.
The sorry thing all about this is that we, the so called PN Apologist, are being proven right. Joseph Muscat is all talk but no substance. PN apologist, including yours truly, would like to see a strong Opposition to the PN Government. Simple reason, it only makes the PN even stronger.
Anthony Castillo
Nov 28th 2009, 15:55
The truth comes out and as the english proverb says THE TRUTH HURTS.Joe please for the best of our country and our people stop talking about this tender so the country could carry on with the progress mainly needed,
c. camilleri
Nov 28th 2009, 15:03
The same old story repeated over and over again. Throwing mud and character assassination. It is also an other way how to delay projects from being started. This is all that the LP has to offer. The new beginning has never come and we are presented with a change in leadership using the same old methods like his predecessors.
Christian Ellul
Nov 28th 2009, 14:48
Typical from Joseph Muscat! 'jitfa it-tajn' . I sincerely thought that unfounded accusations were going to end after Alfred Sant, i was wrong! We have the same opposition we had 2 years ago, just a small change, same leader as before, with a different name!
Joseph E Briffa
Nov 28th 2009, 14:31
Now I think we can carry on with this project and provide the additional energy required to enable the Marsa Power station to close down. If we are going to keep questioning the track record of the successful bidder, the findings of the Danish Police, we might as well question the motives of the Danish paper article and the motives of the Leader of the Opposition and of Evarist Bartolo. One might ask whether PL is not being pushed by some unsuccessful bidder to put pressure on the administration to scrap the award of the contract and issue a fresh call. This is a very common tactic especially when the contract is a hefty one and there is a handsome commission for the agents. It has happened several times before and the only outcome of issuing fresh calls was merely a sheer waste of a couple of years.
Sergio Galea Vincenti
Nov 28th 2009, 14:10
Simple question which I think is relevant: Would illegal acts - such as actual or attempted bribery - carried out by, say, a Danish company or its commission agents outside of Denmark fall under the jurisdiction of the Danish courts?
This is a simple question which should help us readers of The Times understand better the Danish Police's report.
G Farrugia
Nov 28th 2009, 13:59
@Mike Farrugia
For goodness sake the report was prepared in 2004 - what do you expect the Govt to do? Take its time to publish the report? It is readily available - no need to run our own investigation!?!?! unless you think the Danish Police are corrupt!
@Joe Cassar
This is a 2004 report - the Danish Police are not on the PN payroll - of that I can be sure - what on earth are you insinuating? Chucking mud like your lijder obviously!
J Mizzi
Nov 28th 2009, 13:59
Is it only in Malta that we resort to libel when a newspaper publishes something which did not happen exactly as reported?
It's either there are no libel laws in Denmark, or there is some truth in the Danish newspaper report.
joe fenech
Nov 28th 2009, 13:53
@ R.Spiteri !
for your info all investigations should be carried out by local police in which offence had been carried !!.......
more clear in maltese !!..
jekk xahmu xi nies barra d danimarka u f pajjizi ohra huwa dmir tal puluzija tal pajjiz rispettiv !
Mike Farrugia
Nov 28th 2009, 13:49
It amazes me how the government manages to publish international reports within a few hours while it takes ages (if they are ever published) to tackle local reports. I have the Mater Dei award of contracts in mind which has never been published. Does anyone remember Dr. Gonzi asking why Skanska issued a bill for 500 inexisting doors and the enormous (and still mostly unused) Mega dental department? Where is the PL to scrutinize the real issues?
Joe Cassar
Nov 28th 2009, 13:46
Observe the careful use of words "there is no probable cause that a criminal offence, which could be pursued by the public authorities, has been committed”.
All this means is that the company probably did not commit a crime which could be prosecuted in Denmark. It says nothing about the allegations of bribery in other couintries, lilke Malta.
R Spiteri
Nov 28th 2009, 13:34
Itfa it tajn u ahrab....
Joseph Muscat is repeating what Alfred Sant used to do....just throwing mud!!!
Now it is the Danish Police that are saying that Muscat is wrong!!!!
On another note, why did Evarist Bartolo accompany Joseph Muscat yesterday? Isn't he supposed to be education shadow minister?!