The Occupational Health & Safety Authority (OHSA) is investigating claims that a “friendly figure” from within was warning Electrogas of safety spot-checks during the construction of the new power plant, the Times of Malta has learnt.
The leaked e-mails show how the OHSA identified safety shortcomings in 2015 during the construction of the power station.
The authority warned that unless the shortcomings were rectified, it would have no other alternative but to stop the construction works until safety onsite was improved.
In one e-mail, Tumas Gaming CEO and Electrogas director Yorgen Fenech told former Electrogas commercial director Catherine Halpin that an unidentified minister had spoken to the OHSA to “calm the situation”.
Mr Fenech also passed on the details of someone he described a “friendly figure” within the OHSA. He said the official would even carry out an unofficial site visit for Electrogas.
However, with this guy we can know when they will come
“Basically, a site visit before the official OHSA site visit. Will be helpful and a good person for you to know,” Mr Fenech wrote in the e-mail.
In a follow-up e-mail, Ms Halpin queried if there was a planned OHSA site visit. She said she would be phoning up the OHSA official in any case.
Mr Fenech replied that the OHSA carried out spot-checks on construction sites, rather than planned visits.
Attached files
During one inspection, the OHSA found Electrogas did not have a project supervisor, despite legal obligations to do so.
It also said that trenching works being carried out posed a danger to workers.
“However, with this guy we can know when they will come, and he will come see you on site informally,” Mr Fenech wrote in the e-mail to Ms Halpin.
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Contacted about the matter, a spokesman for the OHSA said its board had appointed a former member of the judiciary to investigate the allegations.
“Action was taken immediately. The allegations [in the e-mails] are being investigated externally, and the investigator will report to the board,” the spokesman said.
The Times of Malta is withholding publishing the name of the official involved pending the investigation. Questions sent to Mr Fenech, asking about the nature of his arrangement with the OHSA official, were not answered.
Instead, a spokesman for Electrogas pointed the Times of Malta to a statement published by the company last month.
In that statement, Electrogas said all company activities had always been conducted with the utmost transparency, professionality and legitimacy. The company said it was aware of a “possible breach of its IT system”, and a police complaint had been filed.
Over 600,000 Electrogas files were leaked to slain journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia in the months prior to her assassination.
The files were handed over to the Daphne Project following her death.