Police questioning Frank Sammut
Frank Sammut, a former Enemalta director and member of the Oil Procurement Committee, is being questioned by the police following reports that he received commissions from Dutch company Trafigura for oil sales to the corporation in 2004.
The funds were allegedly deposited in a Swiss Bank.
The Labour Party said yesterday that minister Austin Gatt should also be questioned over the oil procurement process. Dr Gatt replied that he was willing to answer any questions which the police may have, but he was not the one who appointed Mr Sammut and he was never tipped off about any irregularities. He also pointed out that the committee was composed of 10 people and procurement decisions were not taken by one or two people.
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victor cassar
Jan 23rd, 18:41
a very dangerous move by PL at this very time of election . PL knew about this long ago . This will profit nothing to PL . pl WISHES BEHIND THIS IS TO CRUXIFY DR aUSTIN gATT BUT THIS WILL NOT HAPPEN
Antoine Vella
Jan 22nd, 19:44
The police should also question Alfred Sant who put Frank Sammut on the Oil Procurement Committee. Why?
Roberta Sciberras
Jan 22nd, 19:14
I'm pretty sure that Mr Frank Sammut will remember nothing and when questioned about his connections with Trafigura I'm sure his answer will be that they found him in the Yellow Pages. This country is built on omerta. No one says anything about anyone.
maria aquilina
Jan 22nd, 18:07
We will wait and see what is coming up from Mr.Sammut.I am sure that names are going to be mentioned and then the police will bring them as witnesses.I should think so.I am sure that a can of worms is going
to be opened.
tony abela
Jan 23rd, 07:13
I stand to disagree as 'Omerta' has become the order of the day in Malta, either through fear or through bribes.
*Joseph Brincat
Jan 22nd, 17:38
It is plain to see that the whistle blower act which Joseph Muscat want to introduce in Malta,
for the past and the future it make sense ( Gonzi pn do not want it for the past )
J Martinelli
Jan 22nd, 18:50
How far do you want the Whistle-blowers act to be retroactive? Back to the 70s, although some known characters have since passed oaway? There are however, some still around .
*Joseph, 'min jiskongra jrid ikun pur', and the Labour Party and 'purity' were never bedfellows.
Mr Stephen Borg
Jan 22nd, 19:11
@J Martinelli
But this is in the interest of the Maltese people and not in the interest of neither Joseph Muscat nor Lawrence Gonzi. Many hard working, law abiding citizens want these kind of people out of the way because if they remain in their current positions they will continue to become rich at the expence of others which are working hard to make a decent living.
*Joseph Brincat
Jan 22nd, 19:12
J Martinelli How far do you want the Whistle-blowers act to be retroactive?
AS FAR AS YOU CAN GO , SO IF YOU HAVE SOME PROOF OF CORRUPTION YOU CAN PUT IT FOWARD
WAITING FOR YOUR Whistle-blower ??
Joseph P. Borg
Jan 22nd, 19:12
The whistle blower act should be applicable to all persons including civil servants and not only against parliamentarians.
S Portelli
Jan 22nd, 17:32
Dear All- This might be the tip of an iceberg. I think there would be some surprises!
john muscat
Jan 22nd, 17:30
How is it that no one or no office or whatever never noticed that he was getting 10,000 $ or € DAILY??? The Income tax office knows to the least ONE CENT of my income and where it's coming from!!
*Joseph Brincat
Jan 22nd, 17:28
Austin Gatt ,He also pointed out that the committee was composed of 10 people and procurement decisions
were not taken by one or two people.
But in the end is the minister that share hold the decisions to implement IT !!!
twanny borg
Jan 22nd, 17:25
Nahseb ghadu kmieni biex wiehed jara ezatt x'hemm fin-nofs. Jekk hemm xi twieqi ghandhom jinghalqu. Jekk hemm min abbuza jiehu dak li haqqu huwa min huwa. Ghandna kummissarju tal-pulizija kapaci u bla kantunieri jiehu passi kontra kull min jikser il-ligi. Jibza biss min jabbuza.
Schembri Ray
Jan 22nd, 19:16
Prosit Twanny. Hekk għandhom ikunu l-affarijiet. Wara kollox dawn minn flusna kienu qiegħdin jirdghu.
jm busuttil
Jan 22nd, 17:22
Frank Sammut was appointed by Alfred Sant. Enough said.
joe vassallo
Jan 22nd, 19:03
or A.Sant find him there and kept him there ? maybe Mr J.Busuttil can tell, I don't know
James Abela
Jan 22nd, 19:24
Very interesting
Lawrence Fenech
Jan 22nd, 17:06
A commission is given once above board for every final deal. A bribe is a sum given under the counter to keep buying from the same person eventhough there is a better deal elsewhere. The honest or legal way is by tender to choose what is best when buying.
Thomas Anderson
Jan 22nd, 16:57
Where are all those that were ecstatic that this Sammut was appointed as Chairman of MOBC in 1997. According to this report Sammut is still a member of the fuel purchasing board.
*Joseph Brincat
Jan 22nd, 16:46
Yes Mr Gatt if one OF you of the 10 in the committee was involved in corruption
the whole lot should be investigated , just in case there is someone else hiding behind the bushes
J Martinelli
Jan 22nd, 19:13
"....just in case there is someone else hiding behind the bushes"
In which FOREST where the MLP ministers hiding in the 70s & 80s, *Joseph? Surely a few 'bushes' would not have sufficed!
In which forest have the murderers of Raymond Caruana, Nardu Debono and Karin Grech been hiding all these years?
The more you say, *Joseph the more you remind us of Labour's past which you want us to forget.
Mr Mike Farrugia
Jan 22nd, 16:46
The island of consultants.
Kieron O'connor
Jan 22nd, 16:45
Both add to the "Perception of Corruption" rating which gets worse each year.
Louis Pace
Jan 22nd, 16:15
What ever it was Commission or Bribe was this money mentioned in the Tax return papers... if not then this will becomes Tax invasion wouldn't that be worse......
Nicholas Brincat
Jan 22nd, 18:58
its tax evasion :/ stop watching super one and grab a book....... honestly........
J Martinelli
Jan 22nd, 19:17
Maybe the word 'invasion' stuck in Mr Pace's mind since Alfred Sant used to tell us that once we join the EU, there would be an 'invasion' of Sicilian workers ready to snatch jobs from the Maltese.
S. Camilleri
Jan 22nd, 16:14
Whilst at it ... what's the difference between lobbying and bribing??
Edward Mallia
Jan 22nd, 15:41
"Commission" may be quite legal; the still extant local job of "sensar", a person who get house owners and house seekers together gets a commission if the sale goes through. That is not a bribe. In this particular case "commission" may also be the correct word. But money payed by a seller to someone on a buying committee has an ugly ring about it. Can the receiver be indicted? Don't know.
Charles Busuttil
Jan 22nd, 17:31
Isn't this 'senserija' paid only once? If it is paid more than once, does it amount to a bribe?
john muscat
Jan 22nd, 15:33
Who are the 10 people of the committee and who appointed them? The people must know as it's the tax payers' pockets who are paying. The minister should always be accountable.
James Tyrrell
Jan 22nd, 15:00
What's the difference between a 'commission' and a 'bribe?'
Nicholas Borg
Jan 22nd, 15:08
One is legal and above-board the other is illegal and under-hand.
Mr Duncan Scerri
Jan 22nd, 15:16
You don't get a President's Pardon for commissions.
G Schembri
Jan 22nd, 15:17
A commission is a sum of money given for the work rendered towards the success of a deal, by a third person who has nothing to do with any of the parties. A bribe on the other hand is usually given to someone who has the power to change or make a decision towards the success of such a deal, usually the person bribed is either in a position to make said decision or has influence a party.
Adrian P. Cassar
Jan 22nd, 15:24
A commission is a percentage on the sale of something. As in this case, it is not legal to receive a commission, as you are an employee of the buyer. So that would be a bribe, because you might be influencing a decision improperly.
Fran Abela
Jan 22nd, 15:27
You should know being a British / Irish or whatever and it is your mother language. So do please enlighten us
Joe Grech
Jan 22nd, 15:31
A commission is when someone deposits money into your swiss account. A bribe is when someone tries to give you some money in cash in front of other people!!!!
M Borg
Jan 22nd, 15:50
Now why ask ?
Do you want us to believe that you forgot your mother's tongue ??
Eddy Privitera
Jan 22nd, 15:54
Well,one can call a bribe " a commission" so as to make it seem legal. But as Frank Sammut and the other members of the oil procurement board were buying on behalf of the government, there should not have been any "commissions" paid to Frank Sammut, since "commissions" are always ADDED ON to the purchase price !
Charles W. Sammut
Jan 22nd, 16:03
A commission and a bribe could well overlap quite a bit and even completely.
In fact in some cases it would be difficult to separate the two. If a supplier promises an employee a commission so that the employee influences a company decision, then you could say that the employee was bribed with a commission.
Franco Attard Trevisan
Jan 22nd, 16:36
in reality they are the same (i.e. a payment for somehow closing a deal between two (or more) entities. If this payment is legal then it's a commission if the payment is not legal then it's a bribe.
Denis Pace
Jan 22nd, 17:43
A bribe is NOT a commission.
A bribe influences outcome. Commission is part of a purchase. Nonetheless, this may still be illegal.
Commissions are legal when they are a method of payment for services rendered. eg. buying a house through an agent.
J Martinelli
Jan 22nd, 19:29
One is legal, the other is not.
Lobbying is open, known, regulated and usually 'one time' (per issue).
Bribery is usually ongoing, 'under-the-table, against policy, self rewarding at the expense of others...
The amount of bribe is usually tacked on to the cost of goods/services provided to the buyer without his knowledge (i.e. hidden in the price per unit) .
Both are commonly practiced worldwide.
Please choose the reason of your report below: