Former Resources Minister George Pullicino has reiterated that he was not involved in the selection of the company which was awarded a €35m contract to install and operate photovoltaic units on the roofs of government buildings.

The Nationalist MP was reacting after Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi yesterday on Xarabank produced declarations by the Contracts Department and the Resources Authority which he said confirmed that it was Mr Pullicino who took the decisions over this contract.

Mr Pullicino said the letters did not reveal anything new and only repeated what was said last week by former permanent secretary Chris Ciantar.

The contract is being investigated for administrative shortcomings, including the way how it was awarded even though a bank's letter of guarantee was unsigned. Mr Mizzi said the feed-in tariff to be paid to the company - Alberta - was excessive.

GOVERNMENT DEMANDS EXPLANATIONS

In a reaction, the government said that when this scandal was revealed, Mr Pullicino had tried to blame the Resources Authority and the Contracts Department. Now the two entities had declared that it was Mr Pullicino's ministry which handled the contract.

Mr Pullicino still had to declare how the contract was awarded on the eve of the general election when the documents included an unsigned letter from a bank which no longer existed. He also still had to explain how he personally conveyed a letter confirming the high feed-in tariffs. 

 

 

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