Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/401761
maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 22 OCTOBER 2014 News 2 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Farrugia warned Mizzi that failing to substan- tiate his allegations, he could be fac- ing a prima facie breach of privilege and the case would subsequently end up before the Privileges Commit- tee. The Speaker added that calling in the police did not give a minister the right to judge others and Farrugia decided that he would now examine the documents and report back with a decision. "We found a document that should have been issued by the bank, but which lacked the necessary signa- ture. When the bank was contacted, they said that no such document could have been issued from them without the signature," Mizzi said in parliament on Monday. In June, MaltaToday had revealed that the internal audit and investiga- tions department (IAID) was inves- tigating the €35 million photovoltaic contract awarded to the Alberta-So- larig Photovoltaic Consortium before the March 2013 election. The unsigned document, supposed- ly issued by Bancaja in February 2012, notifies that the company SOLARIG Holding SA had the liquidity needed to undertake the 4.5MW energy project over the next two years, and claimed that Solarig had "maintained a banking relationship with [Bancaja] for the last three years without any incidence. We know of Solarig's in- ternational business plan and its ca- pacity to develop international solar projects." But Mizzi yesterday said that the bank didn't even exist under the name Bancaja at the time, as it had already merged with other banks into Ban- kia by 2012. The Bankia merger took place in 2010. Mizzi questioned why the Alberta consortium had not been disquali- fied from the bidding process, despite having the same technical issues that other bidding companies were dis- qualified for. However, Pullicino said on 'Report- er' on Monday night that it was the Malta Resources Authority and the finance ministry that were responsi- ble for the contract. At the time the contract was issued, Tonio Fenech was Finance Minister. "One of the previous government's consultants over that tender is still consulting Mizzi and the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Finance back then still has the same job," Pul- licino said, adding that Mizzi's allega- tions were an attempt to "smear his name". But this was denied by Minister Mizzi. "What Pullicino said on 'Re- porter' on Monday is a big lie," Mizzi said. "His reaction of furore in par- liament, and again on 'Reporter' on Monday, convinced me that I was right. Pullicino, and Simon Busuttil who defended him, have a lot of ex- plaining to do." Pullicino asks Police Commissioner to investigate allegations Meanwhile, Pullicino yesterday wrote to the acting Police Commis- sioner, Ray Zammit, asking him to investigate Mizzi's claims. "As I said on 'Reporter', it was the adjudication committee that had dis- cussed what rate had to be applied after a public call. I am informed that the feed-in tariff rate was analysed by technical experts involved in the selection process based on the ten- der's criteria. Besides, the rate was approved by the MRA and passed through all the verification processes that public tenders go through before being awarded." Pullicino went on to say in his letter to the police commissioner, that long discussions were held with "senior of- ficials" in the Ministry of Finance. He said that these officials still occupy the same positions that they had be- fore the 2013 general elections. "If the consortium which made the offer presented an allegedly irregular letter, I am certain that the commit- tee that evaluated the offer did their job and can easily respond to such ac- cusations," the letter said. At a news conference yesterday, Pul- licino said that "the police have the faculty to make the questions neces- sary – we don't just allege corruption to hide our shortcomings or avoid an- swering questions." Flanked by Tonio Fenech, the former minister shrugged off any re- sponsibility. "If the finance ministry was involved, it would have been at the technical level in terms of the feed in-tariffs. Permanent secretary Alfred Camilleri is still there and you can ask him. I was not personally involved in it." Pullicino played down Mizzi's claims. "No minister decided any ten- der in our times. I never reversed any decisions taken by the privatization unit, nor did I give my wife €13,000 a month to serve as a public official. I have nothing to hide and this morn- ing I wrote to the Commissioner of Police to investigate anything he wants. I hope that this investigation takes place." Opposition leader Simon Busuttil, at the news conference accused Prime Minister Joseph Muscat of mud- slinging and of acting like a school- yard bully. "Our job is to criticise the govern- ment and we can't accept a bullying government. When the prime minis- ter has his back to the wall, he bullies. During the Budget he used the John Dalli report, waving it around, shout- ing about corruption at the hospital. What happened? Nothing. Muscat uses corruption to throw dirt at oth- ers and we don't accept this tactic of bullying." Pullicino asks for investigation Energy debate left too many questions unanswered – Busuttil PHOTOGRAPHY BY RAY ATTARD OPPOSITION leader Simon Busuttil said Monday's debate in parliament on Joseph Mus- cat's energy plan had left many questions unanswered, after the government could not commit itself to a definite timeframe for the delivery of the LNG plant at Delimara, on which its energy plan hinges. "This is a prime minister who does not honour his promises, whose word means nothing. He is not credible. "We feel the lies and contra- dictions from the government have not answered the ques- tions raised by the Opposition and Labour MP Marlene Farru- gia," Busuttil said yesterday. Busuttil said Labour pledged to build a power station within two years of being elected, for the reduction of energy tariffs, with the prime minister boast- ing that he would resign if the plant was not completed in time. "Muscat claimed that an LNG tanker was required to com- plete the power station in two years; and promised to buy energy from Shanghai Electric Power and Electrogas which will, combined, provide more electricity than the average re- quired. "Muscat also promised he would not privatize Enemalta and had dubbed the BWSC plant 'a cancer factory'," Busut- til said of the Delimara phase II plant that currently runs on heav y fuel oil. He said there was no answer as to how €178 million in tariff cuts will be financed or what had happened to the €30 mil- lion that Electrogas should have paid up front. "The biggest question mark is why the power plant was de- layed when, up until July, the government was saying that it was on track… and if the BWSC is no cancer factory now, why not switch it to gasoil from HFO until it is switched to gas?" PHOTOGRAPHY BY RAY ATTARD George Pullicino awards letter of intent to the Alberta Photovoltaic Consortium partners Opposition leader Simon Busuttil: "The Prime Minister isn't credible" Pullicino said that Mizzi's allegations were an attempt to "smear his name"