Updated 1.30pm with archpriest's comment

A contracts review board has upheld a decision by Valletta local council to cancel a €164,000 tender for the restoration of the St Paul's Church façade.

The tender was mired in accusations of conflicts of interest, with the owners of the winning bidder, Agius Stoneworks, being related to the council’s executive secretary Gabriella Agius.  

Agius Stoneworks’ director Rosario Agius told the board that he had not been in contact with that branch of the family for over twenty years “and their relationship was very bad”.

The local council decided to cancel the tender last year after Rosario Agius turned up at a council meeting to discuss the tender.

Also present at the meeting was architect Andrew Ellul, who sat on the tender evaluation committee. 

Ellul testified that he knows Rosario Agius, having been involved in another tender about two or three years previously.

The architect said he never communicated with Agius about the tender, and had only turned up at the council meeting as he was anxious to see the tender finalised due to concerns about the state of the church.

Labour councillor Daniel Diacono told the board that it was wrong for the preferred bidder to be in the company of the evaluator.

He further claimed there lack of transparency in the matter and “intimidation” by former mayor Alfred Zammit, who is now a local councillor.

Zammit on Monday took to Facebook and called for an investigation into perjury, without saying who he was referring to.

In its decision, the board upheld the council’s decision to cancel the tender over the potential conflict of interest.

In a statement, archpriest David Cilia said it was “incomprehensible” to suggest any favours were sought in the award of the tender. 

Cilia said the tender was awarded to the lowest bidder, upon the recommendation of the evaluation committee. The archpriest said the only person with a conflict of interest was the executive secretary, due to her family links with Agius Stoneworks.