The conclusions of the National Audit Office report issued last week, ‘An Analysis of the Effectiveness of the Enemalta Corporation’s Fuel Procurement’ are another nail in the coffin of Labour’s false allegations during the electoral campaign which attempted to damage my reputation by linking me to the oil scandal that had emerged.
It is amazing notwithstanding the testimonies in court under oath in the criminal libel that I instituted against two ministers that had then made these false allegations. It is amazing considering the cheek of yet another minister, Konrad Mizzi, who demanded that I assume responsibility for the serious shortcomings that the NAO report actually stated were remedied when I was in office.
I can assure Mizzi I always carried out fully my responsibility towards accountability and transparency as a minister. The NAO report is a clear proof of this when it commended the reforms made under my tenure as having addressed the shortcomings identified during the period 2008 to 2010.
But Labour seems only intent to continue to apply the principle of mudslinging as the tool for political confrontation of their adversary, irrespective of the facts presented. Labour seems more intent merely to influence public perception by whatever means, rather than assess the facts and pursue the truth.
During the electoral campaign they had alleged that upon my appointment as the minister responsible for energy, I received a gift worth more than €5,000 from George Farrugia, the person granted a presidential pardon, and implicated in the investigation into the oil scandal.
The facts that emerged in court through the deposition under oath of former Police Commissioner John Rizzo, George Farrugia and Ray and Ines Farrugia portray a completely different story. The former Police Commissioner unequivocally declared that the police had investigated the case and found “no link to corruption”. In fact, he goes on to state that clearly the clock was simply a gift.
George Farrugia stated in court that he never met me before his brother Ray Farrugia asked him to accompany him to my house to deliver the gift. Ray Farrugia and Agnes Farrugia clearly stated in court that the gift was a personal gift from them given to me way back in 2007, made by Ms Farrugia herself and costing a few hundred euros. In 2007, I was not the minister for energy but was parliamentary secretary within the Ministry of Finance.
The NAO report findings on how records of fuel procurement meetings were kept in the period 2008 to 2010 are indeed serious. As a person coming from the auditing profession I would say very serious indeed considering what was at stake and the amount of money the corporation spends on fuel procurement.
I think it is high time that Bartolo, Cardona and now Mizzi should apologise for systematically trying to damage my reputation with their allegations
This is why the first thing I did when taking over the corporation in February 2010 was to instruct it to embark on a complete review of the procedure for fuel procurement. A new process was introduced in January 2011, which the Auditor General clearly and unequivocally commended.
Allow me to quote from the report: “From an essentially strategic perspective, NAO’s primary concern with respect to the operations of the Fuel Procurement Committee centres on the fact that no policy framework was in place during the period 2008 up to end 2010, prior to the formulation of the corporation’s Fuel Procurement Policy in January 2011.”
It further states: “Real and tangible progress was subsequently registered from mid-2011 onwards, and this scenario, here defined as the second improvement to the committee’s modus operandi, represents a positive sense of progress that is hereby acknowledged by this office.
“NAO deems positive the much revised and improved quality records and documents maintained in this respect, which clearly listed the committee members’ attendance, quotations received and decisions taken, among other notable areas of improvements.”
Clearly, not only was there no attempt to influence my decision as the minister responsible for energy, but rather, on my own initiative, I did my utmost to close the doors to any wrongdoing, at a time when no questions were being raised on the integrity of the process.
When it comes to the actual recommendations, the Auditor General actually starts by once again commending “the notable improvements and Enemalta’s implementation and application of the Fuel Procurement Policy, and considers the measures to have had an overall positive impact on the fuel procurement process”.
What a certificate to the changes I ushered in at the corporation!
The facts that were presented in the case I instituted in court against Evarist Bartolo and Chris Cardona on May 17 clearly portray a far different picture to what they had been informed, and the National Audit Office report clearly shows that I did what was required of me as a diligent minister to introduce the necessary controls to ensure more transparency in the procurement of fuel.
Frankly, I think it is high time that Bartolo, Cardona and now Mizzi – if they are truly honourable people – should apologise for systematically trying to damage my reputation with their allegations.
If they are honourable enough to do so I will not hesitate to withdraw my court action. If not, then I hope they will be honourable enough to assume the responsibility of their actions.
Tonio Fenech is the Nationalist Party’s spokesman on finance.