Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1471907
4 NEWS maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 29 JUNE 2022 4 NEWS LUKE VELLA FORMER Enemalta chairman Charles Mangion told the Public Accounts Com- mittee that the state company's board only ratified the decision of the evaluation com- mittee to award the tender to Electrogas. Mangion was testifying on the Electrogas power station contract before the PAC on Tuesday morning. He was asked repeatedly about his role in ratifying the decision to award the con- tract to Electrogas, but Mangion insisted the decision had already been taken by the evaluation committee. "I feel it would have been irresponsible not to ratify it. The approval was sealed. It was all approved and the ratification was necessary," Mangion said. He explained that at the time, there were seven people on the Enemalta board, but only five were present to vote, with four voting in favour and one (Lara Boffa) against. "I don't remember any vociferous op- position to the contract. If there had been a strong opposition against Electrogas, it would have been recorded in the meeting as all board members had the opportunity to ask questions. I don't recall any questions that raised red lights," Mangion insisted. PN MP Mark Anthony Sammut pointed out to Mangion that Boffa had said that not enough information had been provid- ed in the presentation offered by former Enemalta CEO Louis Giordamaina. Asked about his potential conflict of in- terest in the decision, having had offered notary services to Tumas Group before, Mangion once again insisted his vote was just a "ratification" on a decision which had already been taken by the evaluation committee. PN MP David Agius intervened telling Mangion that his vote was crucial in the lead up to the Electrogas contract award. PL MP Alex Muscat and Andy Ellul ob- jected, telling Agius that this was "factually incorrect", since if hypothetically Mangion voted against, the vote would still have gone through. 'There was a significant increase in the risks Enemalta was taking' - Assistant AG The chair of the PAC, Darren Carabott asked Mangion whether he was worried about the shortcomings identified by the National Audit Office. Mangion admitted that he had not read the report, not even the 52-page abridged version. "No I have not read the report – I have a lot of things to do," Mangion told Carabott. The former Enemalta chairman once again kept insisting that the vote of the board was only ratification of a decision which had already been taken. Auditor General Charles Deguara and his assistant Keith Mercieca then took the stand, whilst Mangion was asked to step out of the room. Mercieca explained that their main concerns were with terms that had been updated midway through the process, in- cluding "significant changes" to the take- or-pay obligations and the security of sup- ply agreement. "There was a significant increase in the risks Enemalta was taking. The govern- ment ended up in a worse position with all the bidders," Mercieca said. Alex Muscat intervened, asking Mercie- ca whether he still felt that the best bidder had been chosen. Mercieca refused to an- swer, with Carabott objecting to the line of questioning. PN MP Justin Schembri asked Mercieca whether in his opinion that process had to be restarted. Mercieca was visibly uncom- fortable and said the answer was highly "subjective". Enemalta ratified Electrogas contract after evaluation board scrutiny - former chairman Former Enemalta chairman Charles Mangion was asked repeatedly about his role in ratifying the decision to award the contract to Electrogas MATTHEW AGIUS POLICE officers who found the body of murder victim Mario Farrugia, stashed inside the boot of his car, which was found dumped in the Qormi valley last April, have given evidence about the gruesome discovery. Three officers testified before magistrate Astrid May Grima today as the compilation of evidence against Elliott Paul Busuttil continued this after- noon. Busuttil stands accused of willful homicide, illegal posses- sion of a weapon, unlicensed possession of a sharp and point- ed instrument in a public place, hiding a cadaver, breaching bail conditions and recidivism. A police sergeant stationed at St Julian's took the stand first today, exhibiting a report de- tailing his involvement in the investigation. He recalled how, on 5 April at 9:45am, he had been on shift with two other officers, driving towards police headquarters. "I received a phone call on my mobile phone from Inspector Jean Paul Attard, telling me to drop everything and drive to the Qormi valley." The sergeant was told that the police had received information about a missing person, 62 year- old Mario Farrugia, relating to a silver or grey Peugeot. Farrugia had last been seen on 28 March in the vicinity of his home in Pembroke. A police missing person's report had al- so indicated that the man was using a grey Peugeot 407. The sergeant drove the police car deep into the valley, where the three officers came across a camper van parked next to a Peugeot 407, which matched the description of the missing man's car. "The car was very dirty with soil rain residue and was pointing towards Rabat," said the officer, adding that it was difficult to see what was inside the car because the win- dows were all up and covered with soil. The policemen established that there was nothing inside the car's passenger compart- ment, but then the wind sud- denly changed direction and they were hit with "a strong smell of decomposition", ap- parently emanating from the luggage boot, which was also attracting flies. It was then that a pool of dark coloured liquid was noted on the tarmac, under the left front door, barely visible at first. In order to ascertain what colour the liquid was, the sergeant had ripped a piece of paper out of his diary and touched the liquid with it. "The paper immediately turned red," he recalled. The sergeant then phoned his inspector to inform him of his findings and closed off the road to preserve the crime scene. After officers from various units arrived and had secured the scene, the inspector in- formed the duty magistrate, who immediately began a mag- isterial inquiry, the court was told. Farrugia's heavily decomposed body was found in the trunk. In a previous sitting, the court was told that the body was unrecog- nisable and had to be identified through DNA tests. An autopsy later confirmed that Farrugia had sustained 45 stab wounds to the chest. The court had also been told that traces of Farrugia's blood had later been found in the ac- cused's bedroom. Busuttil is no stranger to the criminal justice system, having been charged with various of- fences over the past four years, including attempted murder. The court adjourned the case until 11 July. Inspector Wayne Camilleri is prosecuting. Lawyers Maria Schembri and Kaylie Bonnett are appearing for the Office of the Attorney General. Lawyers Edward Gatt and Ish- mael Psaila are defence counsel. Lawyer Jacob Magri is appear- ing parte civile. Qormi Valley murder Officers testify about discovery of murder victim's body in car luggage boot Officers were hit with 'a strong smell of decomposition' emanating from the luggage boot