Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/651042
6 maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 9 MARCH 2016 News The Parliamentary Secretariat for EU Presidency 2017 and EU Funds, within the Ministry for European Affairs and Implementation of the Electoral Manifesto, notifies that a call for tenders for the provision and operation of audio-visual and simultaneous interpretation equipment for conferences held in relation to Malta's Presidency of the Council of the EU 2017 has been issued. The tender documents are available to download online from www.etenders.gov.mt CALL FOR TENDERS AUDIO-VISUAL AND CONFERENCE INTERPRETATION SERVICES PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARIAT FOR THE EU PRESIDENCY 2017 AND EU FUNDS of the Council of the 2017 Maltese Presidency European Union MALTA'S PRESIDENCY OF THE COUNCIL OF THE EU 2017 Richard Cachia Caruana refutes economy minister's claims and denies having any links to companies registered in Panama TIM DIACONO THERE is no corruption involved in the offshore companies held by energy and health minister Kon- rad Mizzi and the Prime Minis- ter's chief of staff, Keith Schembri, economy minister Chris Cardona insisted. "There is definitely no corrup- tion at all in this case, and I chal- lenge the PN to claim straight out that either Mizzi or Schembri are corrupt," he said on Monday night's edition of current affairs programme 'Reporter'. "I have absolutely no doubt about Mizzi's and Schembri's integrity. Mizzi admitted that he made an error of judgement and that he didn't act according to established ethical political standards. How- ever, he was humble enough to close his company so as to elimi- nate all room for speculation, un- like [former PN minister] Austin Gatt who said that his undeclared Swiss bank account was his own business. "Everyone makes mistakes in life, but Mizzi has recognised his and is trying to correct it in an honest manner. This government is hum- ble enough to retract its wrong de- cisions. "Joseph Muscat wants the public to judge him on results, and not speculation, and all the PN have done so far is create pandemoni- um out of unsubstantiated allega- tions of corruption." When asked by programme host Saviour Balzan whether Labour can afford any more scandals, Car- dona argued that "all governments face their own crises, and that all these incidents are helping this government mature". He also seized on Opposition leader Simon Busuttil's statement during last Sunday's anti-corrup- tion protest that Muscat "missed a chance to change the country when he was elected three years ago". "Was that a Freudian slip and an admission that the previous Na- tionalist administration was cor- rupt?" he asked. Shadow justice minister Jason Azzopardi was on the attack in the programme, describing 'Panama- gate' as the "greatest ever scandal in Malta's political history". "Why didn't Mizzi even men- tion the Panama company when he first revealed the existence of his trust to MaltaToday?" he ques- tioned, noting that a notarial deed said that Mizzi's Panama company was set up "to receive and/or to pay royalties, commissions and other income or outgoings of any kind". "Ministers earn between €40,000 and €50,000 a year and Mizzi's declaration of assets was too mod- est to warrant the setting up of a trust and a company, so why did he set them up?" Cardona reiterated Mizzi's claim that setting up the company only cost €92, but Azzopardi shrugged it off by arguing that "he doesn't believe that and neither does the public". "Does Cardona seriously believe that it is perfectly fine for a sitting minister to set up a company in Panama, a country renowned for secrecy and corruption?" The Opposition MP questioned why no libel case has yet been filed against Malta Independent col- umnist Daphne Caruana Galizia, after the allegations of bribery she has made on her blog. Saviour Balzan interjected, ques- tioning why Azzopardi was using Caruana Galizia as a reference point, when she "is associated with personal ferocious attacks". "I can never condone personal at- tacks, but it is a fact that she broke the greatest scandal in Malta's his- tory," the MP responded. Azzopardi described Panama- nian law firm Mossack Fonseca, used by Mizzi's financial handlers Nexia BT to set up his company, as "one of the most corrupt compa- nies in Panama". Mossack Fonseca is notorious for doing the bidding of notorious oligarchs the world over, including associates of Zimbabwe dictator Robert Mugabe and of the late Lib- yan premier Muammar Gaddafi. "The fact is that one of the most corrupt companies in Panama set up shop in Malta two months after the general election," Azzopardi said. Cachia Caruana denies links to Panama company Cardona pounced on Azzopardi's allegations against Mossack Fon- seca and questioned him whether he considers anyone who deals with that company to be corrupt, a ques- tion the Opposition MP dodged. Indeed, the minister claimed that Malta's former permanent repre- sentative to the EU, Richard Cachia Caruana, has links to a director of the company where Ann Fenech is also a director. The economy minister noted that Mossack Fonseca had in 2003 served as agent for Timber Trad- ing Capital Inc, a Panamanian- registered company whose listed directors include Fenlex Corporate Services Ltd, of which PN executive president Ann Fenech is a manag- ing partner. Another company formed in Pan- ama in 2004 with Fenlex, Karl Di- acono and John Borg Olivier as di- rectors, was Union Private Ltd Inc. "John Borg Olivier is also a direc- tor of Citco, along with [Malta's for- mer permanent representative to the EU] Richard Cachia Caruana," he said. Azzopardi dismissed Cardona's statements as part of the govern- ment's "pathetic attempt" to deviate attention from Mizzi and Schem- bri's Panamanian companies. In reaction to Cardona's claims, Cachia Caruana issued a declara- tion through his lawyer, George Hyzler, in which he said he does not have and never had any links to companies registered in Panama. "Notwithstanding: (1) the impres- sion given by the Hon Dr Chris Car- dona in Monday's edition of Saviour Balzan's programme 'Reporter' on TVM; and (2) the report in yester- day's online edition of MaltaToday, Richard Cachia Caruana has no links whatsoever with any company registered in Panama, nor has he ever had any such links. "The financial services company gratuitously referred to by Chris Cardona and MaltaToday is a Mal- tese registered entity: that is li- censed and regulated by the Malta Financial Services Authority; and that has, over the past few years, gone through the Malta Financial Services Authority's rigorous appli- cation process. "Furthermore, since the entity re- ferred to is a regulated entity, Rich- ard Cachia Caruana was subject to a rigorous vetting process by the Malta Financial Services Author- ity prior to his appointment to the board of this company as a non-ex- ecutive director, as customary. "Richard Cachia Caruana has held no public office or any post with the Government of Malta or any of its agencies or entities since March 2013. "Furthermore, since March 2013 Richard Cachia Caruana has not been involved in any political struc- tures, strategies or campaigns or meetings related to any such politi- cal strategies or campaigns." All smoke, no fire in Panamagate, minister insists Front Harsien ODZ welcomes approval of Public Domain Bill FRONT Harsien ODZ welcomed parliament's unanimous ap- proval of the second reading of the Public Domain Bill, which was proposed by the opposition. "The concept of a public do- main is essential so that the collective good and the pub- lic interest can be safeguarded against unsustainable develop- ment, commercialisation and environmental destruction. Front therefore welcomes the bill," it said. "In its feedback to the govern- ment on the reform of the Lands Department, Front is proposing that land in public hands, the coastline and all scheduled ar- eas should be considered part of public domain and regulated by a public domain act which safe- guards these lands from com- mercialization. The government should be restrained by law from passing public ODZ land for private projects involving construction or development." Discussing Panamagate: From left: Programme host Saviour Balzan, economy minister Chris Cardona, and shadow justice minister Jason Azzopardi The public domain: it can be wonderfully panoramic