Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/226023
€0.90 WEDNESDAY EDITION WWW.MALTATODAY.COM.MT Editorial - PAGE 11 WEDNESDAY • 11 DECEMBER 2013 • ISSUE 344 • PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY Emails show Farrugia was aware of contract decision before it was made public Former prime minister Lawrence Gonzi at a 'social meeting' with George Farrugia during an open day at the Safi Aviation Park. Gonzi previously said he did not know Farrugia but has now confirmed he had entertained Farrugia's representations on an oil storage terminal at Benghisa on behalf of Horizon Terminal. Place 26c Stamp here MaltaToday Vjal ir-Rihan San Gwann, SGN 9016 TOTAL, myself and Falzon, Falzon will finalise a deal with Shell. He (Falzon) is proposing to do a JV [joint venture] with me and should TOTAL fail to get to the tender stage…" The emails were presented in court by Mediatoday's managing editor Saviour Balzan as evidence in a defamation case filed Over 30,000 signatures for hunting referendum THE Coalition for the Abolition of Spring Hunting announced yesterday that over 30,000 people have now signed the petition to call for a referendum to end spring hunting on Malta. Coalition Spokesperson Christian Debono said: "We have been inundated with petition forms during the last week and we are now clearly in the final stages of collecting the required signatures to make the referendum happen." The Coalition is urging everyone who has been involved in collecting signatures to collect some more in the run up to Christmas. "The dove is a symbol of peace and it seems appropriate that we should ask people to sign the petition to protect the turtle dove, one of the species hunted in spring, at this very special time of year. If everyone who has already signed the petition collected just one more signature, we would be sure to have enough names on the petition to make this referendum happen," Debono said. by Austin Gatt, as part of a selection of communications which reconfirmed the intimacy and familiarity To make a donation that Farrugia had with senior politicians, board members and managerial staff at Enemalta. Picture Library Stassis on 2 April 2007 that he also knew of transport and infrastructure minister Austin Gatt's opinion about competitor Falzon Oils. Gatt was then responsible for Enemalta. The email sent by Farrugia reads: "I know for a fact that his (Falzon's) relations with Enemalta and with Aust. is very bad. I know that if there is nothing going on between Photography: David Tipling/Nature Tabone – proves to what extent the oil trader was involved in serving as an agent for interested parties. It is not clear as to how Farrugia obtained this confidential information, but the fact that he knew the outcome proves the extent of his contacts within Enemalta. Before this email, he had previously communicated to George Phone: 5150 2050: €5 5160 2050: €10 5180 2050: €25 SMS 5061 7379: € 2.33 5061 8096: € 4.66 5061 9205: €11.65 Alternatively, you can donate via paypal on our g website: www.birdlifemalta.or CONTINUES PAGE 2 Help us stop this! maltatoday The Coalition is beginning the process of verifying the signatures that have already been collected. CONTINUES PAGE 3 Newspaper post THE oil trader who represented Trafigura and TOTSA in Malta had revealed the conclusions of a closed tendering process, to a Greek company he was doing business with: suggesting he was aware of a contract outcome, before it was made public. George Farrugia, who was granted a presidential pardon by Lawrence Gonzi to turn State's evidence in the Enemalta fuel procurement bribery case, had revealed the conclusions of a closed tender to Moil Coil Trading Company Ltd. In an email sent to Moil's managing director George Stassis (pictured, inset), Farrugia informed him of the outcome of the privatisation of the petroleum division at state energy corporation Enemalta. In his email, Farrugia writes: "Hi Partner, only 4 bids have been submitted, Bids as follows. Falzon (no chance), BB Energy (No chance), Island Bunkers Oils – (Main competitor) and the best PPL (Farrugia's company)." The tenderers Farrugia refers to are Falzon Oils, Dutch-based commodities firm BB Energy, Island Bunker Oils Ltd – whose main shareholders today are facing charges of taking bribes on the supply of oil to Enemalta – and PowerPlan Ltd, the subsidiary formerly run by George Farrugia for his family company John's Group. The 2008 email – sent years after Farrugia was allegedly paying commissions to Enemalta officials like Frank Sammut and Tancred