Prime Minister Robert Abela has dismissed the findings of the Electrogas magisterial inquiry, describing them as “a recycled story.”
The findings were revealed by Times of Malta earlier on Monday.
Answering questions by Times of Malta as he left Parliament, Abela dismissed the inquiry’s findings.
“As far as I know, what I read in the report this morning by the Times (of Malta) is a story that has been recycled I don’t know how many times,” he said.
He clarified that procedures are in place for such inquiries
“I don’t have much more to add because this is a story that has been recycled god knows how many times and finds itself in our newspapers,” he continued. “It is painted like a new story but in fact it is a very old one.”
Abela stressed that one must wait for the proceedings to take place and for their results to come to light.
The inquiry concluded that Keith Schembri, Joseph Muscat's former chief of staff, and Konrad Mizzi, a former energy minister, conspired to profit from the contract for the building of the Electrogas power station and to hide their illicit gains through “money laundering structures” in Panama and the United Arab Emirates.
Investigators allege that plans for these structures were hatched in mid-2012 and “accelerated and became a reality” once the Labour Party returned to government in March 2013.
Financial experts concluded that the €450 million government contract to build and operate the power station in 2013 was “most likely” awarded to the Electrogas consortium to generate funds for the corrupt scheme.
The planned money flows allegedly linked the former government officials with funds generated by Electrogas consortium members through their successful bid for the energy deal.
Investigators say the consortium’s Azerbaijani partner, Socar Trading, passed money intended for Schembri and Mizzi through a complex “Azerbaijani money-laundering machine.”
The inquiry also concluded that money from the alleged operation found its way to 17 Black, an offshore company owned by former Electrogas director Yorgen Fenech. From there, the funds were set to flow to companies in Panama secretly set up while Schembri and Mizzi were serving in government.
Schembri, Mizzi, and Fenech were all charged over the alleged scheme in February.
Former Electrogas director Paul Apap Bologna and businessman Mario Pullicino were also charged, along with Nexia BT accountants Brian Tonna and Karl Cini.
All involved deny the charges.