George Farrugia, the oil trader at the centre of the oil procurement scandal, was quizzed by police for the third time yesterday.

He was summoned following the publication of more e-mails by Malta Today in recent weeks indicating that Mr Farrugia had exchanges with government officials even after 2004.

E-mails were exchanged with Godwin Sant, the former head of the energy regulation section of the Malta Resources Authority, and with Emmanuel Mizzi, head of the shipping unit of Enemalta’s petroleum division, according to Malta Today.

Mr Mizzi allegedly sent fuel data of competitors to Mr Farrugia, who, in turn, would bid for Enemalta contracts on behalf of international oil giants Total and Trafigura.

The pardon could be rescinded if the police found he had not told the whole truth

Recent e-mails published also showed Mr Farrugia solicited UK premiership football tickets from a foreign oil company for Mr Sant, who is now also on police bail.

Several former Enemalta officials have been charged with corruption and bribery, including ex-chairman Tancred Tabone, consultant Frank Sammut and financial controller Tarcisio Mifsud.

Mr Sant and Mr Mizzi had not been mentioned before.

Mr Farrugia was granted a presidential pardon under the previous administration to reveal how he allegedly bribed officials involved in the scandal.

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat warned last month the presidential pardon could be rescinded if the police found he had not told the whole truth about the case, one of the conditions of the pardon.

When testifying before the Public Accounts Committee last November, Police Commissioner Michael Cassar, then still head of the Security Service, said Mr Farrugia was of little help in uncovering any further corruption after 2005.

Legal experts told this newspaper revoking Mr Farrugia’s pardon risked complicating matters for the police in pending court cases against former Enemalta officials.