In a recent interview, I replied to direct and persistent questions on the report by the Auditor General (NAO) on oil procurement. Oblivious to my replies, the Labour Party has been relentlessly spinning the ridiculous story that I or the PN have preferred to remain silent on the matter.
Let me make this clear.
I have zero tolerance for corruption and for irregularities by whomsoever commits them. And I make no compromises on that.
This is the start and the end of my position on the matter.
Having made that clear, let me explain further.
Firstly, we want all the truth to come out and to be publicly discussed. This is why we want the NAO report to be discussed in the Public Accounts Committee in Parliament. And we are prepared to do this immediately, even during the summer recess.
If the Government is serious, it should accept to convene the Public Accounts Committee forthwith. So far, the Prime Minister has remained evasive on whether to discuss the NAO report in the Public Accounts Committee.
In contrast, my position is clear. Call it now.
Secondly, I welcome the referral of the matter to the police authorities for their investigation and I await the conclusions of the police investigations at the earliest. This is precisely what the PN administration did earlier this year when the oil procurement allegations first emerged during the election campaign. As a result, a number of people were arraigned in court and are still facing criminal prosecution.
So we acted. In contrast, no new arraignments were made since the election. This shows that the Labour Government just wants to milk scandals for its political ends.
Thirdly, whereas the NAO report uncovered procedural shortcomings that are a cause of concern, the report also makes it clear that these shortcomings were addressed by the previous PN administration.
So much so that in page 12 of the report, the Auditor General states that “real and tangible progress was subsequently registered from mid-2011 onwards, and this scenario, here defined as the second improvement to the Committee’s modus operandi, represents a positive sense of progress that is hereby acknowledged by this Office”.
And more.
“NAO deems positive the much revised and improved quality records and documents maintained in this respect, which clearly listed the Committee members attendance, quotations received and decisions taken, among other notable areas of improvements.”
These improvements were made before the Auditor General started compiling his report. Not only, but according to an independent member of the oil procurement committee, the current Labour administration has, in essence, adopted the same procurement procedures save for some minor adjustments.
This means that action had been taken by the past administration to remedy the shortcomings and these actions were deemed satisfactory by the NAO.
Fourthly, a controversy erupted over the refusal of former minister Austin Gatt to reply to questions from the media. On this issue, I have gone on record saying that I am not in a position to oblige Dr Gatt to reply to the media since he is no longer an active member of the PN.
However, I have also added that, in Dr Gatt’s place, I would have certainly replied to the media.
Dr Gatt has since made it clear that he is prepared to give his views on the NAO report in the proper institutions, be they the Public Accounts Committee or others.
Labour has remained true to style: it has said a lot, but done nothing
Let me add that I find it worrying that the NAO chose to complete and publish its report without as much as contacting for their version of events persons who were in positions of responsibility at the time, be they Dr Gatt or the former chairman of Enemalta.
It is a basic rule of fairness and due process that any authority that is reporting on the actions of people in positions of authority should approach the people concerned before reaching its conclusions. More so, when the authority concerned is a constitutional body and when its conclusions may cast shadows on the conduct and integrity of individuals.
In synthesis, therefore, it is clear that Nationalist Party, both in Government and in Opposition, has always taken the oil procurement issue very seriously.
And as leader of the party, I have absolutely no intention of doing otherwise.
So Labour’s attempt at spinning the story as though we prefer to remain silent on the matter is ridiculous.
The truth is that not only have we not remained silent, but we have also been the only party to take action on the matter.
In contrast, Labour has remained true to style: it has said a lot, but done nothing.
Simon Busuttil is the Leader of the Opposition.