Questions tabled in Parliament on the controversial multi-million-euro St Vincent de Paul Residence extension remain unanswered.

Nationalist MP Karol Aquilina and Democratic Party MP Godfrey Farrugia are known to have asked questions to Family Affairs Minister Michael Falzon and Finance Minister Edward Scicluna in connection with the tender issued by the government.

The Sunday Times of Malta had reported that a €60-million contract for the provision of meals and a new kitchen at the old people’s home morphed into a 500-bed extension.

As a result, James Caterers and a db Group subsidiary were not only given the job but also paid €274 million to manage the new extension they are bound to build for the government on public land.

According to The Malta Government Gazette, the tender was awarded through a direct order. Active Ageing Parliamentary Secretary Anthony Agius Decelis later said this was “a mistake” because the contract was granted through a so-called “negotiated procedure”.

Replies would be given during another sitting

A spokesman for the Department of Information, which is responsible for printing The Malta Government Gazette, insisted that the items published were only those communicated by government departments/entities. Prof. Scicluna had said he was unaware of the tender and had not approved any direct order. He promised an investigation into the matter.

Dr Farrugia asked through a parliamentary question whether the investigations were completed and if a copy of the report would be published. The minister said a reply would be given at another sitting.

Dr Aquilina asked Dr Falzon for a copy of the contract signed last November with James Caterers and the db Group and who would be owning the new extension once it was ready.

The Nationalist MP also asked who would be providing the extra 500 meals for the 500-bed extension, whether this was part of the original tender and how much would the private consortium be paid by the government for ‘managing’ the new facility.

Again, Dr Falzon said replies would be given during another sitting.

Meanwhile, the director of Contracts, Anthony Cachia, would not say whether work on the construction of a new kitchen had started before the contract had even been signed.

The Sunday Times of Malta had reported that the consortium demolished the kitchen facilities before it had even signed the contract with the government.

Asked about this apparent irregularity, Mr Cachia replied: “Your e-mail has been noted.”

Both the PN and the PD have asked the National Audit Office to look into the tender allocation.

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