A former Enemalta chief projects' officer denied trying to influence the tender adjudicating team on the request of pardoned rogue oil trader George Farrugia.
Ray Ferris, 51 of Sliema, this afternoon told Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera that Mr Farrugia had asked him to approach the adjudication board so that he would be awarded a petroleum contract. He said he did not do what he was asked.
Mr Ferris is pleading not guilty to trading in influence, corruption and fraud in November 2008 and in the previous months.
He said that sometime between December 18 and 22, 2008, Mr Farrugia, of Total, called him and asked him to go to his office for a Christmas drink. He went to his Qormi office and found him waiting outside.
Mr Farrugia told him he wanted to win the petroleum tender and that, if all went well, he would offer him a job. Mr Ferris said he told him he was happy at Enemalta and did not want to have a conflict of interest.
Mr Ferris said he was not in a position to tell him who would win the tender. He felt uncomfortable. Before he left, Mr Farrugia handed him three wrapped parcels and told him it was a Christmas gift.
He then told him to pass on a good word about the tender to the adjudication board and that he could give the gifts to others (on the board) as there were other gifts for him. Mr Ferris said he was shocked and left to head back to the office.
When he opened the gifts he found a crystal bowl and two crystal bonbonnieres. They remained in his cabinet for about a year.
By the time he was given the gifts the preferred bidder had already been selected and the company that won the tender was chosen in February 2009. Sixteen companies had bid, including one of Mr Farrugia, which did not win.
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, that were estimated to be worth €300, and exchanged them for a silver tray after paying another €2,400.
He said he did not tell anyone about what Mr Farrugia told him as he was scared to 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 chairmen Tancred Tabone and Alex Tranter, former chief financial officer Pippo Pandolfino, former acting chairman Edmund Gatt baldacchino and consultant Frank Sammut.
When the police called him to the headquarters, he said, he denied receiving four gifts each worth €2,000 from Mr Farrugia. He also denied asking Mr Farrugia for €40,000 or ever speaking to anyone from adjudicating team about any pending tender Mr Farrugia may have had.
"I always kept him at arms length. I never acted on what he said. I don't do these things. I was trusted with such a project and would not let down people who trust me," he said.
He met Mr Farrugia on two previous occasions and thought there was nothing wrong in being given a Christmas gift by a business acquaintance. He was never given any other gifts, he said.
"During Christmas time the power station becomes like Pavi supermarket... Everyone has baskets," he said as he insisted he did not serve as Mr Farrugia's postman.
He added that, for him, trouble started when he did not sign the BWSC agreement. Mr Pandolfino was called to sign it when he had already left and went to work with Mr Tabone's company.