Government challenges Sant to seek PAC inquiry
The government has challenged opposition leader Alfred Sant to call on the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to probe allegations of irregularities in the privatisation of Sea Malta. Dr Sant accepted the government's proposal but said the opposition...
The government has challenged opposition leader Alfred Sant to call on the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to probe allegations of irregularities in the privatisation of Sea Malta. Dr Sant accepted the government's proposal but said the opposition would ask for an independent inquiry before the PAC investigation.
The government said yesterday that through the parliamentary committee, Dr Sant may "answer all his questions and investigate all his allegations of irregularity".
The government said the PAC could employ the services of the Auditor General and the National Audit Office, which were accountable directly to Parliament and not to the government.
"If Dr Sant insists on an inquiry before the issue is dealt with by the Public Accounts Committee it means he has no confidence in the Auditor General," the government said.
When contacted for his reaction yesterday, Dr Sant replied: "I have no confidence in Austin Gatt period".
He insisted the opposition wanted to employ "all possible means" to probe the operations of the Investments Ministry.
"We want to know why public entities are being subject to the ministry's underhand dealings. The way Sea Malta is being privatised is only the latest in a series of dealings that were made behind people's backs," Dr Sant said, mentioning the privatisation of Mid-Med Bank and the more recent Lm4 million investment in the "botched" Brindisi port.
"Dr Sant should say if he knows of any irregularities in the shares transaction or if he suspects there has been any abuse and if so he should name the culprits," the government retorted.
On the resignation of Marlene Mizzi, appointed Sea Malta chairman in 1997 by a Labour administration, the government said Ms Mizzi's chairmanship had not been a "financial miracle" as Dr Sant was portraying it.
"Dr Sant said Ms Mizzi was the latest in a series of resignations under a Nationalist government. It is ironic that Dr Sant made such a remark when it was he who resigned when he was Prime Minister," the government said.