Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1060184
2 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 9 DECEMBER 2018 NEWS CALL FOR PROJECT PROPOSALS S The Funds and Programmes Division (FPD) within the Parliamentary Secretariat for European Funds and Dialogue, Ministry for European Affairs and Equality, would like to inform that the third call for modular project proposals under the Interreg MED 2014-2020 Programme is now open. The current call is open for the following programme's priority axes: o Promoting Mediterranean innovation capacities to develop smart and sustainable growth; o Protecting and promoting Mediterranean natural and cultural resources. Proposals must be submitted electronically on https://synergie-cte.asp- public.fr/ by noon, 31 st January 2019. Further information about this call may be accessed through the Programme's website: https://interreg-med.eu/fund-my-project/calls/third-call-for-modular- projects/ FPD may be contacted on 22001142 or territorialcoop.fpd@gov.mt. Programme part financed by the European Union European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) 80% EU Funds; 20% National Funds CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 MaltaToday is informed that a find- out on Bundy's workstation after he vacated his post, resulted in sound- clips of board meetings, among which were files that he had shared with third parties. They included one audio file that was edited, ostensibly after Bundy shared it with a principal at Timecare Studios, a Tarxien company that ben- efited from around quarter of a mil- lion euro in funds from PBS for pro- gramming services while Bundy was in charge at the national broadcaster. The audio file was a recording of a PBS board meeting where direc- tors were questioning Bundy as to why he had scheduled current affairs programmes at 10.30pm – outside primetime viewing hours. Bundy filed the unfair dismissal claim against PBS after he was sacked by the board of directors. He had been directly installed at the helm of the national broadcaster in August 2016. But an investigation by the Depart- ment of Contracts in early 2018 found a "flagrant breach" of procurement rules when PBS took out a €398,000 car-leasing contract for eight years, on Bundy's watch. The investigation led to the termi- nation of the contract, which was again confirmed in court to the detri- ment of contractor Burmarrad Com- mercials. The board and former CEO had already locked horns over Bundy's profligate spending, with the car- leasing contract – which totals at least €469,000 when including VAT – becoming the subject of an internal inquiry by auditors RSM. In September 2017, the PBS board passed a motion of no confidence in Bundy after learning of the leasing contract. Bundy had only raised the issue once at board level on 18 Janu- ary 2017, when he sought advice on replacing PBS's ageing car fleet. The investigation revealed that meetings were held with the prospec- tive supplier, Burmarrad Commer- cials, before the company submitted its 'winning' quotation. "It is clear that the conduct by [PBS] seems, a prima facie, to have been fo- cused to advantage the award of the quotations to Burmarrad Commer- cials. This is in flagrant breach of the procurement regulations," the direc- tor of contracts said. It was only after a meeting with Bur- marrad Commercials' representa- tives at PBS, that the company's final quotation was actually submitted. In an email, the representative later told PBS employees: "…It was a great pleasure meeting you this morning. As discussed please find attached the revised quotations for the leasing of a fleet of vehicles for PBS." Contracts Department director- general Anthony Cachia said the email and the fact the company had submitted its winning quotation af- ter the meeting, meant Burmarrad Commercials was "an accomplice" in PBS's breach of rules. There was an additional breach: the €398,000 contract was artificially split into 13 individual contracts, each representing the cars being leased – one of which was for John Bundy. The Contracts DG said there was "no justifiable objective reason" but for the express aim of circumvent- ing public procurement rules. "Such a breach is to be considered an ex- tremely serious breach… conse- quently, the ensuing contracts should be terminated." Each contract was also in excess of €20,000, which in itself should have instantly necessitated a call for ten- ders. Only contracts whose value is less than €10,000 can be procured by direct order. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 "There is a protocol. The protocol stated that it would be better for the patient to be stabilised before he is trans- ferred. He was taken to Mater Dei the following morning without the need for a heli- copter," she said. Steward confirmed that the helicopter operated by the company was undergo- ing maintenance and in its place, the Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) was providing backup. The AFM told MaltaToday that they had not received a request for a patient to be transferred to Malta from Gozo. "The AFM helicopter ser- vice that operates in the event of the Gozo helicopter being unavailable only functions in cases of emergency—risk of death, loss of blood, and similar situations," an army spokesperson said. The situation at the Gozo hospital has medical staff worried with sources telling MaltaToday that they are surreptitiously telling Gozi- tan patients to see to their medical needs at Mater Dei. "The situation has wors- ened and most Gozitan spe- cialists are not even working from the Gozo hospital or se- riously reducing their hours," the sources said. Steward Healthcare took over the concession to run three State hospitals earlier this year after the previous operator, VGH, failed to live up to contractual obligations. Steward operate several hospitals in the US and were billed as "the real deal" by Health Minister Chris Fearne. In Gozo, the company is bound to build a state of the art general hospital and a medical school to be used by Barts. The US company receives a handsome handout from the government for the provision of beds at the three facilities that form part of the conces- sion agreement. The company also receives €1 million per year for the operation of the Gozo medi- cal helicopter service. Medical staff remain on the government payroll. A patient could not be transported to Ma- ter Dei Hospital in Malta in sufficient time for intensive care after suffering a serious heart attack on August 24 of this year, be- cause of a fault to the helicopter at the Gozo General Hospital. The patient died. PN MP Chris Said was informed by an emergency worker at the hospital about the incident and he had confirmed with Malta- Today that this worker was not asked to tes- tify in an inquiry set up by the Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne. The CEO of the Gozo General Hospital had said that this was "untruthful" and in- tended to alarm Gozitans. He denied the allegations. Health minister Chris Fearne had asked the health ministry's permanent secretary to in- vestigate and the inquiry concluded that "the air ambulance helicopter was available when a decision was taken that the patient needed transfer to Mater Dei." Chris Said called the inquiry a "farce", with the hospital worker (since then transferred) saying he would testify under oath that on the morning of 24 August, doctors in Gozo had decided to "immediately" transfer the patient to Malta but could not do so because the helicopter was "unavailable." The August incident AFM received no request for patient transfer 'Flagrant breach of the procurement regulations'