Enemalta chairman Charles Mangion is concerned over revelations that former company officials walked away with sensitive information.
Reacting to the testimony of two former top-ranking officers in Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee, Dr Mangion said he could not understand how they did not feel bound by confidentiality.
Last week former CEO Karl Camilleri and ex-chief financial officer Pippo Pandolfino admitted that they had kept their work computers when they left Enemalta.
“I would have presumed that every official knew he was bound by confidentiality but I am insisting now that every official sign a confidentiality agreement, including the chairman,” Dr Mangion said.
He said a written agreement would bind the person responsible even after leaving the company.
Dr Mangion said the PAC probe into the Auditor General’s audit of how Enemalta bought oil between 2008 and 2011 was turning into “a soap opera” with new episodes unfolding every time somebody testified.
During his testimony Mr Pandolfino even produced two large files with confidential documents that belonged to Enemalta when he was employed there between 2004 and 2009. This left MPs bewildered at how he was in possession of commercially sensitive information.
“I cannot say whether the information was abused or not but now it is up to the PAC to determine what it should do,” Dr Mangion said, adding he had no problem if people got to keep their computers as long as these would have been wiped clean by the IT department.
Mr Pandolfino, who joined Island Bunker Oils after leaving the State company, said he had obtained permission from Mr Camilleri to keep his computer and the information on it. He said there were others at Enemalta who had done the same.
But Dr Mangion said Enemalta was evaluating everything that was said during PAC hearings. He noted that Enemalta had appointed an internal task force to review the Auditor General’s findings when these were released in July.
“We are evaluating all the NAO’s recommendations to strengthen internal auditing procedures but the evaluation has continued throughout the PAC hearings where new things are emerging,” Dr Mangion said.