Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1041944
NEWS 5 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 21 OCTOBER 2018 cated in a human trafficking investigation. The newspaper said he had called the journal- ist demanding a rectification of the report and then called economy minister Chris Car- dona and right after Alfred Degiorgio. But that report was directly contradicted by the Malta In- dependent on Sunday, which cited its own sources close to the investigation saying the call to Cardona did not take place – instead insisting that it was Caruana Galizia who called Darmanin, who right after made a call to George Degiorgio and his brother Alfred. They said that investi- gators had found regular con- tacts between Darmanin and the Degiorgios. One possible explanation for Darmanin's ease of contact with the Degiorgios is the fact that his own ships are berthed by the 'potato shed' at the Tal-Braken quays in Marsa, where the two brothers were arrested in a police raid last December. "I have fishing trawlers," Darmanin had told the court in one court case, unrelated to the Degiorgios. "I need to go through the potato shed to get to my trawlers." In another case, Darmanin was charged with having sto- len water from a government mains supply at the Marsa quays, which he used to fill a water tank encased in a metal cage inside a small van. Murder patterns In the 2016 blogpost, Caru- ana Galizia – assassinated outside her home in Bidnija on 16 October 2017 – was describing the patterns with which members of the under- world were being executed in a spate of revenge murders where car bombs were being used to kill fuel smugglers, while drug traffickers were shot by hit-men. She noted one exception, Jo- sef Cassar, a haulier targeted by a car bomb on the Aldo Moro road in Marsa. Cassar, 40, the director of S&T Ser- vices of Marsa, lost both legs when an improvised device was placed underneath the driver's side of his Ford Tran- sit van. Caruana Galizia wrote that Cassar was also linked to the ship MV Silver King, owned by Pierre Darmanin, whom she dubbed the "black sheep of the well-respected Tan- Niksu family of Zurrieq". Caruana Galizia went on to say that another bomb victim – fisherman Martin Cachia, who was killed in January 2016 – had been listed on a letter signed by Darmanin asking an unspecified recipi- ent to permit Cachia to travel with him by ship to Egypt. Ac- cording to the slain journalist, Darmanin had contacted her to inform her that he had sold the ship when it was released from impound in 2013. "He doesn't remember to whom he sold it, though he thinks it was to a company owned by a certain Tony. He says that he was not charged with diesel- smuggling (he was investi- gated). When asked about his writ- ten request that Martin Cachia, who was murdered four weeks later, travel with him to Egypt, Darmanin said: 'My signature was forged. Martin used to do things like that.' When asked why a diesel-smuggler forging a travel request would pick out his name of all people's, Dar- manin said: 'Those of us who own ships (vapuri) all know each other'," Caruana Galizia said. Cigarettes found at sea With the exception of Caruana Galizia's blogpost, Darmanin was a relatively unknown character. He is the owner of four companies including Darmanin Fisheries and Silver King Limited, both of which owned fishing ves- sels at some point. In his explanation to the au- thorities about how he came to be in possession of a large consignment of cigarettes that were discovered on his ship back in 2011, Darmanin said he had spotted 12 con- tainers literally floating out at sea, when on his way back to Malta after having passed on some fishing nets to another vessel. He said that he had opened one of them and managed to retrieve the cigarettes. Ac- cording to court proceedings however, Darmanin could not name the person's name or the vessel he claimed to have passed on the nets to. "From my experience, the chances are that a container which is open in the water, sinks," the testifying lieutenant noted. In another case, Darma- nin's ship Silver King was impounded and investigated along with three other ves- sels, after undeclared diesel was found on board. In comments to MaltaTo- day back in 2013, Darmanin had said that the fuel was purchased legally, and that he had produced invoices as evidence, including taxation documents. According to the law, once vessels are 24 miles from Malta they must declare any previously undeclared fuel they are carrying. But those familiar with the industry have said that the norm was for vessels to enter port and declare the fuel upon arrival, so that it gets deducted from their government duty-free diesel allowance. Contacted by MaltaToday last week, Darmanin said he was unaware of the La Re- pubblica report connecting him to the Degiorgios. He confirmed having spoken to Daphne Caruana Galizia in October 2016 but was evasive about the alleged phone calls to Cardona and Degiorgio. To be set in a beautiful and bespoke private setting, Villa Anna Teresa lends itself to an elegant and pleasant environment. Together with a number of practice innovations Villa Anna Teresa is set to promote excellence across areas of care for older persons. PRE-QUALIFICATION EXERCISE The Management of Villa Anna Teresa Holdings Ltd. announces that the following Contracts - in connection with the construction and operation of Villa Anna Teresa in St. Julian's - shall be progressively awarded over the next twelve (12) months. VIANTE/02-2018 VIANTE/03-2018 VIANTE/04-2018 VIANTE/05-2018 VIANTE/06-2018 VIANTE/07-2018 VIANTE/08-2018 VIANTE/09-2018 VIANTE/10-2018 VIANTE/11-2018 VIANTE/12-2018 VIANTE/13-2018 VIANTE/14-2018 VIANTE/15-2018 VIANTE/16-2018 VIANTE/17-2018 CONTRACT FOR CONSTRUCTION AND CIVIL WORKS USING ENVIRONMENTALLY- FRIENDLY PRODUCTS; CONTRACT FOR ENERGY-EFFICIENT MECHANICAL, ELECTRICAL, HEATING, VENTILATION AND AIR CONDITIONING (HVAC) WORKS; CONTRACT FOR INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL FINISHING WORKS USING ENVIRONMENTALLY-FRIENDLY PRODUCTS; CONTRACT FOR THE SUPPLY, DELIVERY, INSTALLATION AND COMMISSIONING OF MEDICAL EQUIPMENT, BEDS AND OTHER ASSISTIVE DEVICES ASSOCIATED WITH END-TO-END CARE FOR OLDER PERSONS; CONTRACT FOR THE SUPPLY, DELIVERY AND INSTALLATION OF DEMENTIA- SPECIFIC FURNITURE AND OTHER RELATED ITEMS; CONTRACT FOR THE SUPPLY, DELIVERY AND INSTALLATION OF DOMESTIC APPLIANCES AND OTHER ANCILLARY ITEMS; CONTRACT FOR THE SUPPLY AND INSTALLATION OF COMPUTER DESKTOP EQUIPMENT AND RELATED OFFICE AUTOMATION SOFTWARE LICENCES; CONTRACT FOR THE SUPPLY OF ICT NETWORK ACTIVE EQUIPMENT; CONTRACT FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SOFT-LANDSCAPING IN LINE WITH EXISTING DESIGNS; CONTRACT FOR THE SUPPLY AND DELIVERY OF LIGHT-DUTY HAND TOOLS; CONTRACT FOR THE PROVISION OF MEALS AND ANCILLARY CATERING SERVICES; CONTRACT FOR THE PROVISION OF LAUNDRY SERVICES; CONTRACT FOR THE OPERATION AND MANAGEMENT OF AN ONSITE CHILDCARE FACILITY; CONTRACT FOR THE MANAGEMENT AND OPERATION OF A MULTI-LEVEL STOREY CARPARK; CONTRACT FOR THE PROVISION OF SPECIALISED CLEANING SERVICES AND OTHER RELATED SERVICES; CONTRACT FOR THE MANAGEMENT AND OPERATION OF A CAFETERIA. This is a pre-qualification exercise and no financial details should be submitted at this time. Parties should submit their motivation and interest in being considered for any of these Contracts on tenders@villaannateresa.com citing the Contract reference/s in the email subject field; or by snail-mail at: The Chief Executive Officer Villa Anna Teresa Holdings Limited 60, Telgħet Birkirkara St. Julian's, STJ1143 Telephone enquiries should be made on +356 2099 8903 Villa Anna Teresa is part of Arrigo Group of Hotels Limited Pierre Darmanin, the owner of a number of fishing vessels and a property company, had been investigated after his ship was boarded by the Armed Forces during a routine check in 2011