Former Enemalta chief projects’ officer Ray Ferris yesterday denied trying to influence the tender adjudicating team on the request of pardoned rogue oil trader George Farrugia.
Mr Ferris, 51, of Sliema said that in Christmas time of 2008 Mr Farrugia called him to his Qormi office for a drink. He asked him to speak to the adjudication team because he wanted to win a petroleum tender for which there were 16 bidders.
Mr Farrugia offered to give Mr Ferris a job if all went well and gave him three wrapped gifts – a crystal bowl and two crystal bonbonnieres. Mr Farrugia told him to give the gifts to members on the board, if necessary.
But, Mr Ferris said, while he accepted the gifts, he did not act on Mr Farrugia’s request. “I always kept him at an arm’s length. I never acted on what he said. I don’t do these things,” he told Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera.
He is pleading not guilty to trading in influence, corruption and fraud in November 2008 and in the previous months.
Mr Ferris said that while he was shocked at Mr Farrugia’s proposal, he did not speak up because he thought he would lose his job.
He described himself as a mouse who had to pass through “a pride of lions” to get to his office.
These “lions” all had a good relationship with Mr Farrugia and included former Enemalta chairmen Tancred Tabone and Alex Tranter, former chief financial officer Pippo Pandolfino, former acting chairman Edmund Gatt Baldacchino and consultant Frank Sammut.
Meanwhile, Mr Ferris said, he inherited money from his mother who passed away and did not want to keep it at home. He went to Azzopardi Jewellers with the gifts, estimated to be worth €300, and exchanged them for a silver tray after paying another €2,400.
He added that his problems at Enemalta started when he opposed the BWSC heavy fuel oil project for various reasons, including the additional €27 million it cost compared to a gas plant and the large amount of land taken up.
Police superintendent Paul Vassallo and inspector Jonathan Ferris prosecuted while lawyers Kenneth Grima and Veronique Dalli represented the accused.