Enemalta petroleum division head had requested commission, revealed bids
George Farrugia, the local agents of oil company Total told the police that Alfred Mallia, former head of Enemalta’s petroleum division, had requested commissions from him in the wake of an agreement between Total and Enemalta for oil storage in Malta.
Police Inspector Angelo Gafa’, testifying in court during the compilation of evidence against Mr Mallia – who stands accused of corruption - said that Mr Farrugia had told the police how he had managed, in 1998, to secure the oil storage deal through Mr Mallia.
Alfred MalliaMr Farrugia, , who has been granted a presidential pardon for information on the case, told the police that he used to receive a commission of $0.16c per ton of oil stored at the Enemalta facility and he used to give part of it to Mr Mallia, paying him in cash or by cheque issued by Powerplan Ltd.
Payments used to be made monthly but there was no agreed amount.
He said that Mr Mallia had also received $10,000 after Enemalta needed to tap into the Total stores in Malta because industrial action prevented its tankers from mooring.
During the talks before that sale, Mallia told Farrugia said he had to think of him 'and I am not alone'. He didn't know that he was referring to Enemalta Financial Officer Tarcisio Mifsud at the time. Enemalta had bought 20,000 tons of oil from Total.
Inspector Gafa’ said Mr Mallia continued to be paid a commission for every oil procurement deal reached by Enemalta with Total – which amoutned to well over half of total procurement by the corporation.
After Mr Mallia was injured in a traffic accident in the year 2000, Mr Farrugia said he was asked by Mr Mallia to speak to Tarcisio Mifsud, the corporation’s financial officer at the time.
On speaking to Mr Mifsud, he realised that he had been sharing the commission given to Mr Mallia. Henceforth, Mr Farrugia used to transfer the commission to Mr Mifsud.
Tarcisio Mifsud.The inspector said Mr Farrugia also told the police that the commissions were not based only on procurement by Enemalta, but they were also an incentive for Total to win the contracts. Sometimes Mr Mallia used to show him the bids made by rival companies.
The police inspector said that Mr Mallia initially denied receiving commissions from Mr Farrugia but when confronted by Mr Farrugia himself, he admitted, but said he never asked for them.
Later he also confirmed sharing the commissions with Mr Mifsud. He said he did not receive any more commissions after his traffic accident.
Mr Mifsud continued to deny the claims.
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Edward Mallia
Mar 8th, 09:30
Actually the case before Judge Ellul is more like a standard mafia case, where a capobastone attempts to "persuade" a local businessman to make over for free ( or in exchange for "protection") a fat share in a company. Penalty for refusal: a session on a catherine wheel.
Francis Formosa
Mar 7th, 17:36
Here we have a situation where the commission process was an open secret and everyone who could find a chance dip his finger in the pie did, Jet the ministers concerned who according to the law are responsible for neither employees conduct of work, knew and did nothing about the pie going round. This means that they were not suited for the post or else.
E. Azzopardi
Mar 7th, 16:07
What I cannot comprehend is that nobody, but nobody of those responsible knew what was going on. This is of some magnitude and once they did not know, then in my opinion they were inefficient. Period.
Michael Seychell
Mar 7th, 15:59
Mr Mallia was the Mayor of Qormi when the MLP did not fielding any candidates in its name, but everybody knew that the so called Independent Candidates were Labour candidates, except for a very small number throughout Malta who were truly Independent persons, and these were generally not elected, whilst the 'Independent Labour' were mostly elected.
Edward Mallia
Mar 7th, 15:28
@ g. bartolo
Pardon Mr. Bartolo, in the year 2000 minister responsible for Enemalta was Josef Bonnici & the Enemalta chairman Robert Ghirlando. Tonio Fenech was then mayor of Birkirkara. The system of kickbacks could NOT have started in 2004; it was functioning smoothly well before that. Look at the case before Judge Ellul for other sources and other recipients (ministerial?) of "gifts".
Kieron O'connor
Mar 7th, 14:45
The reality is at some point in time all political parties have been involved, this did not just happen over night.
The employees of Enemalta involved would have learned of the kick backs from there predecessors and looked on it as an entitlement of the job.
Like the pilots in the suez canal, they ask for cigarettes and booze just like they saw the British pilots get them during days of Empire.
Robert Caruana
Mar 7th, 14:14
SO Labour is involved deeply in this scandal after all!
mark johnson
Mar 7th, 12:48
Blimey, singing sweeter than any canary.
g bartolo
Mar 7th, 12:41
and all this thrash all being done behind our back but in full and clear light of our finance minister , minister of infrastructure tonio fenech and our ex prime minister ( the one and only ) Dr Gonzi....pack you bags all you have caused injustice and hibernate somewhere far far away....at least for the next century....
C. Bartoli
Mar 7th, 12:29
Iktar hemm laburisti involuti fl;-iskandlu milli nazzjonalisti
Daniel Borg
Mar 7th, 11:30
Futur fis sod.. xfutur?.mhux ta bxejn kontijiet oljin.. imma.. skond tonio irridu nidraw ax qatt mhu se jorhsu
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