Two former Enemalta officials refused to speak about a decision allowing employees to keep their work laptops on leaving the company.

Contacted yesterday, former Enemalta chairman William Spiteri Bailey said he preferred speaking about the case in front of Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee.

Former CEO Karl Camilleri said he could not speak to the newspaper and hung up the phone abruptly.

The PAC is probing the findings of an audit by the Auditor General of Enemalta’s fuel procurement between 2008 and 2011.

During the hearings, two former Enemalta officials admitted having obtained permission by their bosses to retain their computers when they stopped working for the corporation.

Former chairman and CEO refuse to speak to this newspaper

Mr Camilleri said it was Mr Spiteri Bailey who had given him permission to retain his laptop after he left his senior position.

Enemalta has confirmed that Mr Camilleri had a confidentiality clause included in his contract but stopped short of saying whether a waiver granted by the chairman was enough to exonerate an employee from confidentiality obligations.

The company said it was conducting its own audit that also covered issues related to “information protection”.

Former chief finance officer Pippo Pandolfino also admitted when testifying in front of the parliamentary committee of having obtained permission from Mr Camilleri to keep his laptop.

During his testimony, Mr Pandolfino produced two large files with information that he retained after leaving Enemalta, a situation that raised MPs’ eyebrows.

Enemalta could not say whether Mr Pandolfino’s work contract had a confidentiality clause because his personal file went missing.

The company said it asked the police to investigate the matter.

Mr Pandolfino is expected to continue testifying at the next PAC sitting, while Mr Spiteri Bailey has yet to be summoned before MPs.

ksansone@timesofmalta.com