The government this evening objected to an Opposition request in the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee for the contract between the government and Henley and Partners to be scrutinised by the committee, citing a court decree.
Earlier, during Question Time, Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi refused a request to publish the contract with Electrogas on the new power station, saying questions about it should be made in writing.
Henley and Partners administer the Individual Investor Programme, popularly known as the citizenship scheme.
The request was made by Nationalist MP Jason Azzopardi.
Justice Minister Owen Bonnici said there was currently a court case where Ayrton Capital was challenging the government's decision to award the contract to Henley. During the course of the proceedings, the contract had been presented in court but was not being made public by the court because it was commercially sensitive.
The government as a party to the case was respecting the court's decision not to publish the contract. The committee too should respect the decree of the court.
Dr Azzopardi said Parliament was sovereign and there was nothing which said that parliament could not act because the contract was being held in the judge's chambers. Parliament had no moral or legal obligation to be bound by a decree of the court.
He said it was humiliating that on a TV programme, a Henley representative said the contract should not be published because it had implications on national security. That meant that a foreign private company had information with a bearing on national security, and Malta's own parliament did not.
The committee had a duty in the national interest to scrutinise the contract.
Committee chairman Tonio Fenech said that if the committee could not examine commercial contracts it might as well pack up. In the past the committee considered sensitive contracts such as that with BWSC.
Dr Bonnici said the government, as a party in the court case, was bound by the court's decree.
Labour MP Carmelo Abela said the government had no objection to debating the contract in due time after other agenda items was exhausted. Furthermore, the legal points raised by Dr Bonnici needed to be considered.
Mr Fenech said it was the committee which set the agenda. No discussion could be held unless the contract was presented to the committee.
Claudio Grech (PN) said the contract had to be presented for a discussion to be held. One could not agree on a discussion date if the contract was not presented.
Mr Abela said one had to allow time in view of the legal point raised by Dr Bonnici.
Dr Azzopardi said the government was adopting delaying tactics.
Mr Abela said the debate would be held in due time but the court's decree could not be ignored.
Mr Fenech said a ruling should be requested form the Speaker on whether the committee had the right to request the contract in view of the court's decree.
Dr Bonnici disagreed. He said the agenda should be followed and the request should be made when this agenda item came up.
Mr Fenech said a ruling may be requested by any MP at any time.
The discussion ended with Mr Fenech said he would request the ruling.
NO REPLIES ON POWER STATION CONTRACT
Earlier, during Question Time in Parliament, Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi turned down Opposition requests to publish the contract awarded by the government to Electrogas on the new power station. He also refused to give details.
Dr Mizzi said the recent reduction in the price of utility tariffs for households would cost €30 million, with €50 million next year in the reduction of prices for businesses.
He steadfastly declined to answer impromptu supplementary questions on the gas power station contract signed between Enemalta Corporation and private consortium Electrogas.
He insisted that he would answer the opposition’s questions only if they were put in writing.
On their demands for him to table at least one example of a contract for gas supplies at a fixed price for ten years, rather than the five years as in the Enemalta contract, he said he was not responsible for what other countries did, but such contracts did exist.
The opposition also asked when the government intended to honour the Prime Minister’s promises that the contract would be published.
Opposition MP George Pullicino asked Dr Mizzi to confirm that €30 million of equity in Malta Power and Gas Ltd had been transferred to the Electrogas consortium. What had become of transparency?
Why had the minister felt comfortable calling a news conference on a reduction of two cents in the price of petrol, but not on a deal worth €400 million?