Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/519957
MATTHEW VELLA THE wife of former home affairs minister Manuel Mallia was granted Maltese citizenship within a period of less than nine months after applying for naturalisation in 2014. A redacted version of the application by Elena Codruta Cris- tian was obtained by MaltaToday under a Freedom of Infor- mation request. But apart from the deletion of her personal data, Identity Malta has also cancelled out the name of the sponsor. Malta- Today has filed a complaint to Identity Malta requesting the publication of this information as well as indicating how and who green-lit the citizenship application. At law, a sponsor for a person seeking naturalisation must be an MP, a member of the judiciary, a legal or medical profes- sional, a high-ranking police or army officer, or a parish priest certifying that the applicant is of good character. Mallia's Romanian-born wife – the couple were married on 21 July, 2012 – applied under Article 10 of the Maltese Citizen- ship Act, to request citizenship on the ground of having resid- ed in Malta for at least seven years preceding the application. Mallia has denied having examined the request of his wife for citizenship during the time he was minister responsible for citizenship. Skanska cited waiver to refuse paying €200,000 Newspaper post Sex therapist Maria Ali 'Boys will not always be boys' 14-15 YOUR FIRST READ AND FIRST CLICK OF THE DAY WWW.MALTATODAY.COM.MT maltatoday Minister's wife naturalised in under nine months CORRESPONDENCE being pub- lished exclusively by MaltaToday confirms that in 2011, construc- tion giant Skanska had informed the Foundation for Medical Serv- ices (FMS) that it would not be honouring a claim on the repair of faulty reservoirs at Mater Dei, because the FMS had signed a waiver agreement in 2009. The communication resulted after FMS wrote to Skanska Mal- ta Joint Venture (SMJV) to inform them that it would be withholding an out- standing €200,000 bal- ance to cover the cost of repairs for faulty reservoirs at Mater Dei Hospital, made neces- sary because of the use of low- g r a d e c o n - crete, whose strength was re- corded at 20MPa (megapascals) instead of 30MPa. The correspondence suggests that FMS chief executive officer Brian St John – today CEO at the Nationalist Party – could have been aware of the existence of low-grade concrete, a serious is- sue at Mater Dei Hospital, long before being exposed in the me- dia this year. St John was also aware of the waiver signed in a 2009 project closure agreement with SMJV. But last week, St John referred MaltaToday to former social policy minister John Dalli when asked about his k n o w l e d g e of this waiver. Skanska invoked waiver after FMS tried to withhold €200,000 payment to cover costs to repair faulty reservoir at Mater Dei • Even CEO Brian St John told chairman Paul Camilleri that claim was contrary to the 2009 agreement SUNDAY • 31 MAY 2015 • ISSUE 812 • PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY Fresh enough not to need cooking Fresh, local mozzarella at La Maltesa TODAY www.gourmettoday.recipes www.facebook.com/gourmettoday NOT FOR SALE Flora's A pretty, little spot for afternoon tea ISSUE NUMBER 34 MAY 2015 Force of contradiction Government defends the Zonqor university when its own environment policy proposes that it shouldn't be done… Petra Caruana Dingli PGS 14-15 Force of contradiction Government defends the Zonqor university when its own environment policy proposes FREE WITH MALTATODAY CONTINUES PG 4 CONTINUES PGS 6-7 Former Mater Dei CEO Brian St John (left) with former Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi and former health minister Joe Cassar, who succeeded John Dalli (below, left) as health minister €1.40