Economy Minister Chris Cardona. Photo: Matthew MirabelliEconomy Minister Chris Cardona. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

Former Mimcol CEO Vince Mifsud said he had repeatedly flagged the problems of procurement and recruitment and only resigned after these remained unaddressed for almost two years.

Mr Mifsud said, through his lawyer, that the issues were flagged via individual e-mails to all nine directors sitting on the boards of Mimcol and Malta Government Investments Ltd (MGI) in early August 2013.

Not only that, but, without getting into the merit of the issues, Mr Mifsud said he had also taken the opportunity to verbally “flag” his concerns on numerous occasions.

The Times of Malta last month reported that Mr Mifsud had written to the National Audit Office saying he was sidelined and kept in the dark for the past two years.

In a letter, he said he could not continue serving in a position where he was expected to assume responsibility for things done behind his back, including issues related to procurement and recruitment.

Reacting to Chris Cardona’s interview in The Sunday Times of Malta, Mr Mifsud said the Economy Minister had made a number of points that were inaccurate.

Among them was Dr Cardona’s assertion that Mr Mifsud had not flagged the issues to the board of directors.

Mr Mifsud also objected to Dr Cardona’s remark that he had been offered the chance to remain on as a consultant to ensure a smooth transition until the appointment of his successor, but had refused.

On the contrary, he said, he made it clear he was available for any assistance after his termination of employment and he was not expecting any form of compensation for this.

“This attitude is not consistent with the minister’s gratuitous assertions about ‘good faith’,” Mr Mifsud said.

Mr Mifsud added that nobody had communicated with him since mid-June, and he had remained in the dark on any “so-called offers”. On July 22, Mr Mifsud was then informed of the date in which he was to cease delivering service.

On Dr Cardona’s innuendos and “unfortunate choice” of the word “pocketed” when referring to his salary, Mr Mifsud said his contract, and salary, were the same as that of his predecessor.

Dr Cardona also failed to say that the CEO of Mimcol and MGI was habitually required to fill in for vacancies in subsidiary companies as they arose, without additional compensation.

When it was pointed out that a CEO of a public entity earned as much as the minister, Dr Cardona replied in the interview that he would not comment on Mr Mifsud’s package as he would “burst into tears”.

“I do not dispute that the level of salary of Cabinet members is derisory, but this is a matter over which I have no control and it is precisely for this reason that a minister’s salary is an inadequate benchmark against which to judge the salaries of high-ranking and highly qualified professionals,” Mr Mifsud said.

Mr Mifsud concluded that it was apparent that Dr Cardona chose to react to the questions from a “grossly misinformed position.

This, Mr Mifsud said, may have resulted from the boards’ failure to give Dr Cardona a comprehensive account, which was well known to them.

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