An “irregular” car contract awarded by former PBS chief executive John Bundy should be probed and all legal action deemed appropriate after such investigation” should be taken, the State broadcaster has been told.

Upholding a decision by the government’s contracts committee last March to annul an agreement between PBS and supplier Burmarrad Commercials, a public contracts review board ruled that the contract was irregular and violated public procurement rules.

PBS corporate affairs manager Edmund Tabone told the review board he had warned Mr Bundy over the irregularity of what he was doing.

However, Mr Tabone said the former CEO, who has since been sacked, insisted he had the Culture Ministry’s blessing.

“During our last meeting over the contract, Mr Bundy produced the signed quotation he got from Burmarrad Commercials and forced us to sign it. I signed under duress,” Mr Tabone said.

The issue goes back to September 2016 when Mr Bundy informed executives he planned to change the car fleet.

According to the review board, when PBS officials told him a call for tenders and the directors’ approval were necessary, he insisted it was not the case because he would obtain the clearance of the Culture Ministry, responsible for PBS.

A few months later, in March 2017, Mr Bundy approved the award of 13 contracts to Burmarrad Commercials having a total value of €375,840. No invitations to tender or public call was made.

In its conclusions, the review board concluded that the award process “breached various regulations and such a process swayed completely away from procurement regulations”.

It said the sort of procurement process followed provided “the perfect example of a strict non-adherence to all the principles of transparent public procurement”.

Apart from cancelling the contract, the review board said that action should be taken against Mr Bundy.

The PBS board of directors unanimously resolved to fire Mr Bundy last November. The decision was made after an audit firm, RSM, concluded that he had failed to follow public procurement rules.

The Sunday Times of Malta had reported that the audit report found that Mr Bundy had “consistently bullied” senior management over the contract. He denied wrongdoing and insisted he had nothing to hide.

“Everything I have done, I have done for the good of the company and with a clear conscience,” Mr Bundy had told this newspaper.

A former popular DJ on the Nationalist Party media for many years, Mr Bundy moved to the other side of the political divide after Joseph Muscat became Labour’s leader.

He regularly produced programmes on One TV, including during the 2013 electoral campaign. He was appointed CEO of PBS in July 2016 on the recommendation of the Office of the Prime Minister. No call for applications had been made.

 

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