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Newspaper post CONTINUED PAGE 4 PRESIDENT Marie Louise Coleiro Preca made her mark in this year's Republic Day speech with a plea for a "caring Republic" and even chal- lenging her audience to consider how Maltese democracy can offer space to both "secular process and religious diversity". After her speech where she posited that Malta's traditional ties to Ca- tholicism were "no longer central to cultural activity" because of societal changes, one of the first reactions was a tweet by Apostolic Admin- istrator Charles Scicluna, in which he claimed to be "bemused" at the suggestion. "The President herself knows the many Catholic NGOs on Malta!" But he later corrected the earlier tweet, saying that the President's words "on the marginalization of the Catholic Church were taken out of context. We need to work together." Coleiro Preca however appealed for a public space where a "democ- racy without intrusion, based on di- versity" can prosper. She also said Malta should be a "caring Republic" that offers mi- grants the refuge of international solidarity, so "that the movement of people becomes a quality experi- ence, and not a tragic end to many hopes and lives. President's plea for a 'caring Republic' YOUR FIRST READ AND FIRST CLICK OF THE DAY WWW.MALTATODAY.COM.MT Key witness in oil scandal never interrogated by police Saudi prince Waleed, Krokus frontman Mark Storace, and award winning writer Immanuel Mifsud honoured - pgs 16,17 MICHAEL FALZON How Malta's planning minister intends to tweak the island's development zones INTERVIEW PGS 12-13 WWW.MALTATODAY.COM.MT ISSUE NO. 11 – WINTER 2014 – €4 WHERE SOLD ETIQUETTE CULTURE SPORT MUSIC GADGETS MUCH MORE TRAVEL GIFTS ART FOOD WINE the quarterly, quality, life & style magazine FREE INSIDE INDULGE MAGAZINE CHRISTMAS SPECIAL REPUBLIC DAY 2014 Cathy Farrugia signs off an email from Power Plan while reminding Thomas Duhamel of another invoice from Aikon, her husband's secretive fi rm; INSET: Cathy (left) and husband George meet former prime minister Lawrence Gonzi - she spent 10 years as Gonzi's secretary when he was legal head at the Mizzi organisation SAVIOUR BALZAN FOR eight years, Cathy Farrugia, the wife of former oil trader George Farrugia, was responsi- ble for drawing up and issuing 'illicit' invoices for her husband's secret company Aikon Ltd. The company, managed by fiduciary firm Inter- shore, served as Farrugia's vehicle to allegedly si- phon off €6.8 million in illicit commissions on the sale of fuel oil to Enemalta, and then deposit the cash in separate local and foreign accounts. While her husband today enjoys a presidential pardon issued just days after MaltaToday broke the story of his role in the Enemalta fuel bribery network back in January 2013, Cathy Farrugia has never been interrogated or questioned by Michael Cassar, then the chief investigating officer at the time, despite her pivotal role in Aikon Ltd. Cathy Farrugia was then responsible for issuing bona fide invoices during this period for Power Plan Limited, the family firm owned by the John's Group for the supply of fuel to the oil bunkering industry. But she also played a role in issuing secret invoic- es for her husband's other company, Aikon Ltd. The bulk of the illicit commissions for the sale of fuel oil to Enemalta were made from 2005 un- til 2010, when Alex Tranter was responsible at the energy corporation as the politically appointed chairman of the energy corporation. Behind the backs of his brothers in the John's Group, George Farrugia – using his company Aikon – brokered deals for the supply of oil to En- emalta from oil giant Trafigura. What was unknown to the press at the time that Lawrence Gonzi advised on the issuing of a presi- dential pardon to George Farrugia, was that Cathy Farrugia had been the prime minister's secretary for 10 years when Gonzi was a legal advisor at the Mizzi organisation. SUNDAY • 14 DECEMBER 2014 • ISSUE 788 • PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY maltatoday €1.20