Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1531177
4 NEWS 4 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 8 JANUARY 2025 MATTHEW FARRUGIA mfarrugia@mediatoday.com.mt THE Nationalist Party has ac- cused Transport Malta's Mar- itime Unit of currently renting RHIBs that could have been bought for a lower price, pro- longing the saga of the unit's in- famous RHIBs. The issue dates back to 2021 with the failure of a Trans- port Malta tender for five new Rigid-Hulled Inflatable Boats (RHIBs), which were deemed unseaworthy by an independ- ent surveyor. Despite a surveyor's assess- ment noting that the vessels developed structural problems, officials were still ordered to use the RHIBS to carry out pa- trols. The matter had prompted a National Audit Office inves- tigation, which found that the process to purchase the RHIBS was led by one person with in- sufficient overview from the other members of the team tasked with the project. This resulted in a "suboptimal out- come", the NAO said. On Tueaday, the PN called for a full investigation, including a police inquiry, into the tender- ing process, citing irregulari- ties identified by the National Auditor. One major concern was that the tender was adju- dicated within just 24 hours, raising serious questions about transparency and governance. While that tender was even- tually cancelled, in June last year, TM issued an expression of interest to lease three RHIBs for two months between 18 September and 17 November at a cost of €94,000. This decision has been criti- cised as illogical and wasteful, as the lease period did not align with the peak summer months when maritime activity is at its highest, leaving critical months without proper enforcement. Additionally, the two RHIBs already owned by TM were re- portedly not used during this period. The PN highlighted the fi- nancial inefficiency of the lease, noting that a new RHIB of the same type costs between €70,000 and €80,000. Concerns about the integrity of the tendering process have also been raised, as two evalu- ators from the cancelled RHIB tender are still involved in the latest tender, despite pending investigations from the initial case. This issue is the latest in a string of controversies sur- rounding Transport Malta's Maritime Unit, including the missing fines scandal revealed by MaltaToday, where over half of the fines issued by mar- itime enforcement officers re- portedly disappeared, and alle- gations of enforcement officers being coerced to provide false testimony under oath. A future PN Government, the statement added, is committed to restoring transparency, en- suring efficient use of public funds, and providing maritime officials with the necessary re- sources to safeguard maritime safety. The statement was signed by PN spokesperson for the mari- time sector, Ivan Castillo. Transport Malta says claims are 'baseless' In response, Transport Malta described the claims as "base- less allegations," adding that it had already explained itself in previous statements. TM said that the 2021 RHIBs were acquired according to the relevant procedures and were certified by independent ex- perts who then found that they weren't built according to the required specification. "To this day, the authority has not made any payment for these vessels." The authority also stated that the rented RHIBs were neces- sary until new vessels are ac- quired, adding that they do not cost €100,000. They added that the €70,000 and €80,000 fig- ures are incorrect, and that this shows that Castillo was referring to vessels that are not certified for enforcement operations. Transport Malta stated that the Maritime Unit has indeed engaged in enforcement activity with just two RHIBs meant to be used across all of Malta and Gozo. In May last year, Malt- aToday had revealed that the unit was only using two RHIBs, as the authority refused to con- firm this number until now. Transport Malta RHIBs saga: PN says government renting vessels that could be bought for lower price The Nationalist Party said that government is renting three RHIBs for €94,000, noting that a new RHIB of the same type costs between €70,000 and €80,000 Man found guilty of threatening to shoot dog and owner A 68-year old man from Birżebbuġa was found guilty of threatening another man and was conditional- ly discharged for a period of three months. The man, who was furthermore found guilty of insulting the man and breaching public peace, had made various threats after the victim's dog entered his field. The defendant told the victim that he would shoot him as well as his dog, if the latter were to enter the field again. The defendant, who claimed that the dog had barked and approached him, told the Court that whilst he had advised the victim to refrain from letting his dog roam around, he had never threatened to shoot him. The Court, presided over by magistrate Monica Vella, held that it believed the victim's version of events, noting that fear had been in- stilled in his mind. It was further noted that whilst there was passive provocation inas- much as the dog was not kept on a leash, the defendant had crossed a line with his threat. The defendant was also ordered to refrain from approaching the victim for a period of one year. THOMAS CILIA tcilia@mediatoday.com.mt