‘He said: Take care of me and I can help you’

The star witness in a bribery case yesterday claimed the former CEO of Malta Investment Management Company Ltd, Mario Mizzi, had told him he was ready to help Mr Cardona in a tender if the latter looked after him.

The witness, Paul Cardona, a marine engineer, added that Mr Mizzi had admitted this to Police Commissioner John Rizzo while both men were at police headquarters.

The only reason he had come forward and filed a report was because something like this could damage the government, Mr Cardona said. He felt he should bring it to the Prime Minister’s attention that such things were going on.

The case centres on a call for tenders issued as part of the government’s plan to privatise the shipyard and to turn it into four separate entities including a designated area dealing with the repair of super yachts.

Mr Cardona said that during a meeting held in 2009, Mr Mizzi, who at the time was the CEO of Mimcol, asked if he was interested in becoming a consultant to the privatisation unit of which Mr Mizzi was a member.

He told Mr Mizzi that he had already been approached by a consortium looking to place a bid but had not given a definite answer yet and would get back to him.

Around a week later Mr Mizzi informed him that a foreign consultant had been appointed by the privatisation unit but he still wanted to see him over an issue with Gozo Channel. By that time Mr Cardona had accepted to be a partner in a consortium with a five per cent share.

During the meeting, Mr Mizzi placed his hands on the desk, looked down and told him, “If you take care of me, I am in a position to help you”, Mr Cardona said.

The conversation then carried on as if nothing happened. After the meeting, Mr Cardona informed the consortium about what Mr Mizzi had offered but the consortium partners refused outright.

It was shortly after this that he reported the issue to the Ministry of Finance.

He said that during the police investigation, the Commissioner, Mr Rizzo, staged a confrontation between the two men. Under pressure, Mr Mizzi admitted to saying something similar to asking to be looked after.

When the Commissioner asked him what he meant by the phrase “look after me”, Mr Mizzi told him it meant if Mr Cardona could find him a better job.

The case continues.

Lawyers Joseph Giglio and Steve Tonna Lowell appeared for Mr Mizzi.