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Gatt reiterates he did not speak to George Farrugia on oil tenders

Infrastructure Minister Austin Gatt has reiterated that he never, ever discussed the business of tenders for oil by Enemalta with George Farrugia or had any conversation with him that remotely touched on such subjects.

This, he said in a statement, applied to the period referred to in the Sunday Times story of yesterday (some 8 to 10 years ago) or any period before or since.

Dr Gatt issued his statement in reply to Labour Party comments.

Joseph Muscat yesterday called on the prime minister and Dr Gatt to explain their position after e-mails published in the newspaper made reference to a minister, to AG and to Aust.

Mr Farrugia has been granted a presidential pardon in return for information on alleged illegal kickbacks for oil procurement by Enemalta.

In his reaction to The Sunday Times story yesterday,Dr Gatt reiterated that when he met Mr Farrugia he had never discussed the business oil procurement.

“The minister repeats once again that his denial in the first paragraph is categorical and if anyone has even a shred of proof that he discussed Enemalta oil tenders with anyone – let alone George Farrugia – then that proof should be immediately given to the Commissioner of Police,” a spokesman for Dr Gatt said.

The spokesman said that Dr Gatt had also met Mr Farrugia – in the presence of a number of his partners and ministry officials – regarding a storage project they were developing and which the ministry was involved in from a maritime point of view.

“The e-mails you refer to do not imply anything contrary to what the minister said and none of them even remotely refer(s) to Enemalta oil tenders. In fact, one of them does not even refer to the minister at all seeing that ‘A.G.’ could be anyone, another one actually refers to Mediterranean Oil Bunkering Corporation storage facilities in which George Farrugia was active as well, and the third one merely states that Tancred Tabone, then chairman of Enemalta, will be meeting the minister, which he did regularly.”

 

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Paul Micallef

Feb 13th, 15:55

Allura jiehdu 500 euro fil gimgha! Hallina! Int ghandek idea qisek ta kif jigu amministrati l public funds! Nahseb bhax xiri taz zejt b miljun euro kuljum! Viva l commission!

Francis Saliba M.D.

Feb 11th, 16:47

How do you know that there was a meeting?

Clinton Magro

Feb 12th, 11:29

How do you know that there was a meeting? Isn't this implied in "How did the meeting go with..."? Are we saying that a meeting SHOULD have taken place... but for some reason this did not happen? In this case How do you know it did not happen?

Paul Micallef

Feb 13th, 15:56

Francis Saliba: Rajthom l emails? Clinton Magri: Iehor ma rax l- emails! L- aqwa li naqbzu ghal gonzipn!

GL Calleja

Feb 11th, 15:32

Mr Zammit this has nothing to do with PN or PL. This has to do a lot with dishonest people in high places accepting bribes at the TAX PAYER's expense and no Political Party should sanction that.

L Zammit

Feb 11th, 15:54

I too agree that no political party should sanction any illicit behaviour but the PL bloggers here are all out to discredit AG and/or Aust when no one knows the contents of the conversation. I hope you do not deny my accusation of character assassination over the years by the MLP....too many to list here,

Giov DeMartino

Feb 11th, 17:27

Noqghod fuq id-dikjarazzjoni li ghamel Toni Abela All PL apologists

Wouldn't know if I should laugh or cry.

Mr leo attard

Feb 11th, 19:42

@giov deMartino...you will be crying a month from now. I was a PN supporter, but it's obvious that the capt has lost control of the ship! you are not saying Gonzi is right, you're merely saying others did the same thing. only in maths do 2 negatives make a positive

Giov DeMartino

Feb 12th, 07:15

@leo Attard. I'll be laughing a month from now. Laughing at the stupidity of others and laughing because all the goodies delivered by Joseph Muscat will be delivered to me, A NATIONALIST, also. BTW. What did you want from Gonzipn which you did not get?

Mr leo attard

Feb 12th, 15:00

@gov de Martino... for one thing I did not get justice. i will nott give details --suffice to say it's an injustice to be employed with inferior wages by the govt simply for not having a vote.... as regards to your enjoying benefits from the PL, well didn't you hear: Malta taghna lkoll....(PN included) ...also, you are now admitting that muscat will be in power. PN has changed -for the worse

Giov DeMartino

Feb 12th, 17:07

See? I WAS right when I asked Mr Attard what was it he wanted but did not get! He admitted that himself. That is why he is an ex-PN. Not bec of corruption. Not bec of the nat. debt. Who cares about these? The problem is to find an honest man NOT a corrupt one. But Mr Attard refuses to give details. So how can we judge whether it was justice he wanted and not some form of injustice. Cont

Giov DeMartino

Feb 12th, 17:11

Justice? Injustice? It all depends. 5 years ago there was a candidate who wanted a permit to build a disco. Giving such a permit would have been a gross injustice, BUT for him NOT GIVING him the permit was an injustice. And he cried openly and bitterly. And like Mr Attard, he has become an ex...bec of such an injustice.

Giov DeMartino

Feb 13th, 11:47

@ Leo Attard: What did you EXPECT but you did not get? Let us know.

Mr leo attard

Feb 13th, 18:39

@giov de martino..to be paid less, to have all your academic qualifications ignored, simply because you are ineligible to vote, is discrimination. so what i wanted was justice..

Giov DeMartino

Feb 13th, 19:47

@ Leo Attard. Readers want concrete facts, NOT vague statements.

Mr leo attard

Feb 14th, 20:25

@giov de martino...if you cant see the fatcs in my blog it's because you are 'shortsighted', blind by prejudice, or simply a chicken to answer. Just say whether or not the situation I presented is ethical or not. what else do you want? my phone, email, cellphone? You've been given the facts. Now give your opinion.

Mr Andrew Camilleri

Feb 11th, 14:15

Let's not try to interpret facts when we do not have all the facts. Yours is mere speculation. And some people may be so arrogant and sure of themselves that they do commit stupidities. Did we not have a prime minister who thought he could hide the fact that he awarded himself a €500 weekly rise?

Gaby Spiteri

Feb 11th, 14:14

I kept waiting to read the sarcastic give-away here!.. But seems like you're genuine.. God I really don't want to know what other names you have on your 'Honourable Gentlemen List' !!!

M Borg

Feb 11th, 14:18

I don't know about you, but even if you do not agree with what Austin Gatt does or did, I am sure you must agree that he is not that stupid to act in the way many are thinking that he did.

GL Calleja

Feb 11th, 15:25

Mr Borg don't bet on it. Sometimes people don't think until after the fact. Remember this discussion happened ten years ago.. If this conversation happened at all, it happened in a private office, get it? Walls have ears.

Mr Andrew Camilleri

Feb 11th, 14:19

People have a right to reach conclusions just as you did with the Farrugia and Zarb incidents. Are you forgetting how the PN twisted and spun what was said and done? It doen't feel good now, does it?

Thomas Anderson

Feb 11th, 15:22

As long as he is not Labour let's be decent and prudent until the course of justice is done lets keep sleeping dogs lie until at least the 9th of March. I wonder if you would have the same feelings if it was a Labour exponent.

Julian Borg

Feb 11th, 13:43

What HARD evidence .... If you have any please go to the police commissioner otherwise you should shut up. MLP and its supporters always the same - creating an issue where none exists.... Are you that desperate?

M Borg

Feb 11th, 14:23



" The spokesman said that Dr Gatt had also met Mr Farrugia – in the presence of a number of his partners and ministry officials – regarding a storage project they were developing and which the ministry was involved in from a maritime point of view." .

However if you have any other evidence .according to the above Dr Gatt asks any one to take the proof to the police.

Mr Andrew Camilleri

Feb 11th, 14:21

Like none of us were there when Tony Zarb had his lunch meeting. Except that Michael Ferry was there and has stated that what was said was nothing like the spun story Gonzi and friends concocted. Now we know the truth from someone who was there - and it has nothing to do with what Gonzi is implying.

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