The former mayor of San Lawrenz and five other former council officials were today acquitted of having been accomplices to a fraudulent scheme concerning grants offered by the Malta Resources Authority to residents investing in the installation of photovoltaic panels.
Noel Formosa, Anthony Formosa, Giovanni Mercieca, Joseph Sultana, Luigia Grima u Lucia Anna Haber, as former representatives of the San Lawrenz council were accused of having been accomplices to fraud with Godfrey Formosa, director of Di Natura, a company selling clean energy systems.
The whole case, which had caused a stir back in 2010, revolved around a scheme set up by the Malta Resources Authority whereby a 50 per cent price refund was offered to individuals who opted to invest in photovoltaic panels.
Di Natura offered residents of San Lawrenz a photovoltaic package for €6,000. The purchaser paid €1,000, the supplier company forked out €2,000 and the remaining €3,000 were sponsored through EU funding. However, it was alleged that the price quoted to the MRA was purposely inflated and that the refund was ultimately pocketed by supplier Godfrey Formosa.
The court, presided by magistrate Neville Camilleri observed that the prosecution had failed to put forward concrete proof of the alleged fraud. "Any suspicions about the accused vanish completely" when one examined all the acts of the case, the magistrate observed.
The police mishandled the investigation, the court remarked. Had the police done things differently the accused would have avoided facing charges in court.
The court acquitted the accused of all the charges relating to fraud and falsification of documents.
It appeared that the ultimate aim of the ex-council officials was to transform their village into an ecologically sustainable community. This, observed the court, was the reason why they wanted the residents of San Lawrenz to benefit from the best product at a relatively low price. There was no proof of any fraudulent intentions on their part, the court concluded.
In a parallel case filed against the director of Di Natura Ltd, the court likewise found Godfrey Formosa of Naxxar not guilty of having been party to the alleged fraud. This was a clever marketing venture intended to serve as a publicity campaign for Di Natura energy products and there was no element of fraud involved, it ruled.
Lawyer Joe Giglio appeared for all the councillors and lawyer Stefano Filletti appeared for Godfrey Formosa.