Former minister Konrad Mizzi was quizzed by MPs on Tuesday over delays to the gas-fired power station and “illogical” fines issued to Electrogas, the company behind the project.
Mizzi returned to parliament’s Public Accounts Committee on Tuesday, to face questions about his time as minister responsible for the controversial power station project.
The Electrogas deal was the subject of a 500-page report by the National Audit Office which found a number of shortcomings in the selection process for that project and concluded that the due diligence process was “insufficient”, among other things.
During a characteristically rowdy two-hour sitting, Mizzi was questioned by Opposition MPs over delays in delivering the project.
Committee chairperson Beppe Fenech Adami and his opposition colleagues Karol Aquilina and Ryan Callus asked Mizzi to explain how the project had failed to meet an 18-month timeline that had been given by the Labour Party in the lead up to the 2013 general election.
Mizzi insisted the project had multiple deadlines, with different parts of the project set to be operational by different dates.
"Stop confusing and muddling things," Mizzi told the committee.
He added that the PL’s commitment to the electorate had always been to cut utility tariffs by 25% "and this is what had been done".
Aquilina pointed out that Electrogas had in fact missed a 2015 delivery deadline and that fines had been issued.
These fines were “capped” at €18 million when in fact they should have been higher, Aquilina said.
Furthermore, Electrogas was given some 18 years to pay off the amount, which was described as “illogical” by the NAO, the MP added.
Times of Malta had revealed the 18-year breather back in 2020.
On this, Mizzi said he would return to the PAC with the necessary information.
Tuesday’s committee hearing was replete with heated exchanges between Mizzi and the opposition members, who goaded him over his involvement in the Panama Papers offshore leak.
Mizzi was also urged to “follow Joseph Muscat’s advice” and answer their questions - a reference to a recent interview in which Muscat said he had encouraged Mizzi to cooperate with the committee.
Mizzi lashed out at Fenech Adami with claims the MP had a certain John Debono act as a front for him on corrupt deals.
Fenech Adami said he had "no idea" what Mizzi was referring to.
Mizzi also repeatedly accused Callus of not showing up for work at a phantom government job, with the PN MP refusing to say which government entity employed him.
Mizzi also repeated claims made last week that he had only been an “observer” in meetings that led to the decision to grant a power station contract to the Electrogas consortium.
He has repeatedly refused to answer questions, including about his relationship with individuals involved in selecting the Electrogas bid, such as David Galea, Thomas Leonard or Brian Tonna.
Instead, he said that he was only obliged to respond to questions directly related to the NAO report that the parliamentary committee is probing.
He has been testifying before the PAC since last November, having first refused to attend the sittings before then taking up several hearings to deliver an "opening statement".
The next meeting will be held on February 23.