The consultants selected by Enemalta to evaluate tenders for the new Delimara power station extension were blacklisted by the World Bank for corrupt practices, Labour leader Joseph Muscat said yesterday.

Dr Muscat said Lahmeyer International were blacklisted by the World Bank until 2013 for corrupting a public official in the African state of Lesotho over the award of a tender in that country.

According to the Labour leader, the German company's analysis of the power station bids was a determining factor in the choice of Danish company BWSC, which won the €210 million contract. He also claimed BWSC's Maltese intermediary, Joseph Mizzi, worked as an agent for Lahmeyer International.

"The party has in its possession an e-mail Mr Mizzi sent to a third party in April 2008, in which he lists the companies he has worked for. Apart from BWSC, Mr Mizzi also mentions Lahmeyer International," Dr Muscat said.

Earlier this week, the documentation was passed on by the Labour Party to the Auditor General, who is investigating the award of the power station contract.

When contacted, Mr Mizzi said he had been advised by lawyers not to comment. However, the Investments Ministry said in a statement that Lahmeyer was only asked to verify whether the claims made by the four bidders on the exhaust gas cleaning mechanisms were realistic. It was not involved in the final decision.

The ministry added that the opposition's intention was to hinder each and every project the government was working upon. It said everyone agreed the extension to the power station was required so that Malta could close the Marsa station by 2012 but the Opposition chose to forget the common good and hinder the country's development.

The German company is also involved in consultancy work with the Malta Resources Authority on the electricity interconnector with Sicily.