Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/604914
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 22 NOVEMBER 2015 MATTHEW VELLA MALTA International Airport's former chief executive, Markus Klaushofer, has claimed that he is assisting in an investigation by the financial regulator into alle- gations of leakage of sensitive in- formation in Malta International Airport, a public listed company. Klaushofer was sacked from his position in January 2015 and sub- sequently filed a claim for unfair dismissal in Malta, after refusing a €400,000 golden handshake. In a statement to MaltaToday, Klaushofer said he had now been approached by the Malta Finan- cial Services Authority (MFSA) to assist it in "investigations con- cerning leakage of information in MIA, which is a public listed company, directly to Vienna In- ternational Airport". Klaushofer has stated that he would resist "aggressive demands" from VIE to transmit sensitive in- formation from MIA, and that he will be substantiating his claims with the necessary statements and information to the MFSA. MaltaToday could not inde- pendently verify the claim. A sen- ior MFSA official said that such investigations were confidential and that it was not possible to dis- close any information on whether or not an investigation was taking place. But MIA chief executive Alan Borg dismissed Klaushofer's claims. "The company states in no uncertain terms that it has not been advised by the MFSA or anyone else of any investigation whatsoever and believes that even if merely as a matter of regulatory courtesy, the company would have been the first to know about such an investigation. Accordingly, it dismisses Mr Klaushofer's state- ment as simply extraordinary. In any event MIA would, had any of its regulators to conduct any in- vestigation, co-operate with the regulator to the fullest extent al- lowed by applicable law and regu- lation." Klaushofer has told the Indus- trial Tribunal that his dismissal was motivated by VIE's demand for regular access to MIA's sensi- tive financial data, making it privy to the data to the exclusion of all other shareholders, including the government of Malta, the holder of 27 million shares in MIA. He said that he stopped the practice, something that was nor- mal procedure under his pred- ecessor Julian Jaeger – now a sen- ior official at VIE. "My stance did not go down very well with [MIA chairman Nikolaus] Gretzmacher and I believe that when Jaeger referred to a bad atmosphere be- tween myself and the chairman, he was referring to my decision to stop the flow of sensitive informa- tion to VIE." MIA has hit back at Klaushofer, accusing him of providing confi- dential data to an interested buyer seeking to acquire SNC Lavalin's share in MIA. Gretzmacher claims that Klaush- ofer supplied Antin Infrastructure in Paris with adjusted traffic fore- casts, ostensibly to have the con- sortium offer a higher price for the airport's shares which would be acceptable to VIE, the major- ity shareholder; and to become "friendly" with the new investor in an attempt to retain his execu- tive position. VIE holds 57.1% of the shares in Malta Mediterranean Link (MML), the airport operator which altogether owns 40% of MIA. MML's other shareholders are SNC Lavalin, whose share- holding VIE is now expected to acquire; and the Nuance Group, whose representative is Maltese entrepreneur Michael Bianchi. In October, the Viennese pros- ecutor dismissed a criminal complaint filed by VIE against Klaushofer for allegedly using his influence to buy a watch from a MIA outlet at a reduced price. VIE claimed Klaushofer benefit- ed from a €3,000 discount on an Omega watch from one of the du- ty-free shops. But the prosecutor moved that the Vienna Regional Court of Criminal Matters reject VIE's complaint. VIE has filed an application to continue proceed- ings. 8 Secure Investment Secure Investment Issue of Issue of €35,000,000 35,000,000 in Floating Rate Malta Government Stock in Floating Rate Malta Government Stock MALTA GOVERNMENT MALTA GOVERNMENT STOCKS STOCKS _______ _______ (i) Floating Rate Malta Government Stock (Sixth Issue) ) Floating Rate Malta Government Stock (Sixth Issue) Maturing in 2019 linked to the six Maturing in 2019 linked to the six-month month Euribor Euribor + 35 basis points (bps) + 35 basis points (bps) _______ Floating Rate Malta Government Stock Applications in the form of sealed bids (auction) for a minimum of €250,000 and multiples of €50,000 each open on Wednesday 25 th November 2015 at 8.30 a.m. and close at noon of the same day on Wednesday 25 th November 2015 or earlier at the discretion of the Accountant General. The Treasury will be issuing €35,000,000 Floating Rate Malta Government Stock as follows: MALTA GOVERNMENT STOCK FOR SAFE INVESTMENT AND LIQUIDITY WITH MALTA GOVERNMENT STOCK FOR SAFE INVESTMENT AND LIQUIDITY WITH INTEREST PAID UP TO THE DAY OF RE INTEREST PAID UP TO THE DAY OF RE-SALE OF STOCK SALE OF STOCK SECURITY SECURITY CONTINUOUS LIQUIDITY CONTINUOUS LIQUIDITY INTEREST EVERY SIX MONTHS INTEREST EVERY SIX MONTHS (The value of the investment may go up or down during the tenor of the Stock) Treasury Department, The Mall Building, The Mall Treasury Department, The Mall Building, The Mall - Floriana Floriana, Malta. , Malta. Bids Bids on on the the prescribed prescribed form form are are to to be be transmitted transmitted by by fax fax on on 2596 2596 7210 7210 or or by by e-mail mail at at the the e-mail mail addresses addresses indicated indicated on on the the application application form form or or deposited deposited in in the the Tender Tender Box Box at at the the Treasury's Treasury's premises premises in in Floriana Floriana. The The application application form form may may be be obtained obtained from from all all Members Members of of the the Malta Malta Stock Stock Exchange Exchange and and other other authorized authorized Investment Investment Service Service Providers Providers or or downloaded downloaded from from the the Treasury's Treasury's website website at at www www.treasury treasury.gov gov.mt mt. News MIA doubts claims of MFSA probe into airport data leak 8 News Markus Klaushofer: a criminal complaint against him by VIE was rejected by the Viennese public prosecutor