Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/608340
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 29 NOVEMBER 2015 3 News Love * Terms and conditions apply getting my VAT back in vouchers * g Newly set-up firm provided CHOGM with 100 luxury cars SAVIOUR BALZAN FOREIGN dignitaries attending the Commonwealth Heads of Gov- ernment Meeting in Malta had to turn to the local black market to exchange their stash of American dollars, as banks turned back for- eign representatives and their cur- rency due to money-laundering restrictions. Representatives from one Asian and at least three African countries were constrained to turn to the black market to change their dollars into euros, MaltaToday can con- firm, because CHOGM organisers failed to provide a ready supply of euro currency for the delegations in the run-up to the conference. In similar international fora, host governments handle the exchange of foreign currency for diplomats, but CHOGM organisers did not apparently envisage this scenario. Transactions for cash the foreign delegations brought with them to finance their stays, varied from US $60,000 to US $80,000. MaltaToday is informed that am- bassadors and members of the for- eign delegations travelled to Malta with the dollars in their suitcases: in one instance described to this newspaper, an African diplomat who could not arrange to exchange his dollars was compelled to make use of a bank vending machine. Many foreign delegations were also asked to settle 50% of their ho- tel accommodation bills on arrival, leaving many delegations irked by the strict payment terms. Sources close to the delegations said that leading hotels were unwilling to give credit to many delegations from Asian, Caribbean and African countries. Serious concerns from service providers have also been raised about the flimsy procurement pro- tocol used by the CHOGM organ- isers in giving out contracts. Questions were raised over the choice of the Forte Chauffeur com- pany, a recently set-up chauffeur service that has no formal com- pany registration and appears to be run by a certain Charles Zammit from Siggiewi. Of the 140 cars available for dig- nitaries, apart from the Volvos provided for Heads of State which are to be auctioned for charity dur- ing the Malta Community Chest Fund's Strina, Zammit provided over 100 cars. Chauffeurs who talked to Malta- Today confirmed that Zammit was present during most of the events directing his new fleet of cars, and that his company had suddenly mushroomed having provided some very expensive cars, including a model that cost over €100,000. Many chauffeurs complained about the bad organisation at CHOGM, with little concern for their working conditions. "Whereas the police had parking areas where they could avoid the rain and cold and have a bite or a smoke, we were forced to park outside in the rain and cold in a makeshift open parking area with no cover and one mobile toilet for 140 chauffeurs. If you needed to pee you would be better off finding a wall or a tree for cover." In the run-up to CHOGM, con- cerns were also voiced about direct orders given out – but the Office of the Prime Minister has refused to list the number of direct orders and tenders handed out for the organi- sation of the Valletta Summit and the Commonwealth conference. Ray Calleja, a popular TV pre- senter, was awarded a €25,000 direct order for the artistic direc- tion of the opening ceremony. In 2005, the opening ceremony had been awarded by tender to Wel- come Events for the sum of over €150,000 – a company then run by Lou Bondì of Where's Everybody, NNG, and Silvio Scerri of Nexos Lighting. Preparations were also in full swing on a large steel structure be- ing erected in Hagar Qim, as the venue for a gala dinner for Com- monwealth leaders and Queen Elizabeth – which was however cancelled due to the inclement No- vember rain. The job was offered, this time by tender, to Charles Magro's Tec Ltd for €57,000; half the price of the closest rival offer. Magro's Tec Ltd was in fact re- sponsible for all the tents used by Labour during the last electoral campaign. No tenders were issued for the CHOGM press centre fa- cilities and instead the company owned by Carmel Magro was se- lected directly by the OPM. Magro was the person who had blown the whistle on works be- ing carried out by JPM Bros, the owners of the Jerma Palace Hotel in Marsaskala, on the Balzan resi- dence of then finance minister To- nio Fenech in 2009. Magro, who had not been paid for sub-con- tracted works on Fenech's house, claimed that Peter Montebello had told him the works were "a favour for the minister to help him sell off the Jerma to Gasan and Fenech [the two business groups]". CHOGM continued through the weekend with few hiccups apart from problems with traffic and timing. Some traffic accidents were reported due to the fact that the majority, 64 in all, of the brand new police Ford cars were not installed with sirens. A police officer driving one of the vehicles told MaltaToday that without the sirens' blare bumper to bumper accidents were inevitable due to the sudden braking. "Many private cars will react to the sound of a siren but not to flashing lights coming from behind." sbalzan@mediatoday.com.mt PHOTOGRAPHY BY RAY ATTARD Colonial redux From Kingsway, to Republic Street... and now the Commonwealth walkway Memorial plates were affixed to the ground on such places as the aptly named Republic Street, Valletta's main road and formerly known as Kingsway before it was renamed in celebration of Malta's newly acquired status as a free republic in 1974. Now the royal insignia of Elizabeth will be a constant reminder of Malta's hosting of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting... and for some avid republicans on the left of Labour, a bitter pill to swallow. SEE MICHAEL FALZON on page 23