Former Mimcol chief executive Mario Mizzi has been cleared of bribery in the privatisation of the shipyards’ by the Criminal Court.

In January 2012, Mr Mizzi had been charged with demanding a bribe in return for favourable treatment in a tender process dating back to 2010.

The case centred on a call for tenders issued as part of the former government’s plan to privatise the shipyard.

For the sale, it had been split into four separate entities, including a designated area dealing with the repair of superyachts.

During the process, Paul Cardona, a representative of one of the bidders for a superyacht facility - SYC Limited representatives - claimed Mr Mizzi approached him and said: “Scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours.”

He understood this to be a request for a bribe of some sort.

SYC Limited was one of two companies which made it to the final stage of the tendering process. It was subsequently downgraded and effectively eliminated from the bidding process, after Mr Mizzi had spoken to a foreign technical consultant, Sue Hall, it was claimed.

As a government technical consultant, Ms Hall had drawn up a report about the bidders in which percentage points were awarded according to their technical competence.

SYC, which had partnered with a French firm called Couach, was awarded 71%. However, an eventual re-evaluation saw this go down to 50% and later 48%.

In her considerations, Magistrate Doreen Clarke concluded that Mr Mizzi had not been offering a bribe but showing his appreciation towards an offer by Mr Cardona, who had said he would let him know of any work opportunities.

At the time the statement was made, the court noted, Mr Mizzi could not have known what Mr Cardona’s involvement as a bidder was going to be, so his statement could not have been linked to the privatisation.

As for the downgrading of the company eliminating it from bidding, the magistrate noted that the re-evaluation of SYC’s technical bid had been in reaction to problems Couach had found itself in and following legal advice.

Moreover, the accused had not been alone in this process but was in continuous consultation with other people, including at times, the minister.

Lawyer Joe Giglio appeared for the accused.