No findings have yet been presented two years into a probe by Judge Emeritus Philip Sciberras about the quality of oil used at the power station.
In a terse one-line reply, a spokesman for the Prime Minister’s Office told the Times of Malta that the inquiry was “still under way”.
The investigation had been launched on October 22, 2013, by the Energy Ministry in consultation with the Prime Minister.
In a statement, the ministry had said that “doubts” had been raised on the quality of oil being used by the State energy company following “information” which had been received that same evening. Consequently, the ministry had instructed Dr Sciberras to look into these claims.
A week earlier an Enemalta official had told Parliament that the company occasionally accepted oil consignments outside specifications.
Testifying before the Public Accounts Committee, Philip Borg, the manager of the then Enemalta Petroleum Division, revealed that at times the power station’s fuel sulphur content was found to be too high although Enemalta was paying a premium for low-sulphur oil to minimise pollution.
Doubts had been raised on the quality of oil being used by the State energy company
Mr Borg was testifying before the parliamentary committee that is analysing the Auditor General’s report that highlighted several shortcomings in the fuel procurement process. However, the Enemalta official was unable to explain how this had happened, saying he was not responsible for the purchase of this oil used for electricity generation.
One month later, in November 2013, the then Enemalta chairman Charles Mangion admitted that occasionally the company was still accepting fuel consignments outside the specifications.
Dr Mangion said this exception was only being made as long as the company remained compliant with emissions regulations.
He noted that sulphur content had been consistently within specifications, but the levels of nickel and nitrogen at times had been outside the limits set in the tenders.
However, replacing these consignments would be too costly and impractical given the low stock levels, Dr Mangion said.
Meanwhile, last June the retired judge was appointed as head of an inquiry board looking into the concrete of two apartment blocks built by the Housing Authority some 20 years ago in Mtarfa. The investigation was launched by the Social Policy Ministry.
At the time, Minister Michael Farrugia had described Dr Sciberras as the ideal person to head this investigation, having just concluded a separate inquiry about concrete at Mater Dei Hospital.