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Matthew Vella
The European Commission’s independent audit into the award of the press review contract to PN-owned company Media.Link, will cost anything up to EUR50,000, MaltaToday can confirm.
According to the tender issued by the Commission, the audit report will have to be carried out by the 30 April, and will look into where the rules governing “conflict of interest” have been applied properly. It will also see whether the procedures for awarding the media contract were carried out with applicable regulations.
Media.Link was awarded two contracts by the European Commission to provide a daily audiovisual and print media review to the Commission’s representation at Ta’ Xbiex. The total value of the contract, which can be renewed every year up to five years, amounts to EUR565,000 (Lm244,000).
The audit is expected to take 10 days, after which the draft report will be presented. Within 15 days, a meeting will take place at the European Commission to discuss the conclusions.
Commission vice-president Margot Wallström launched the audit in reply to a question by MEP Carl Schlyter. According to spokesperson Mikolaj Dowwgielewicz, the Commissioner “felt the need to get an external point of view of a possible conflict of interests. As soon as the results of the audit will be received by us, the Commission will take any action considered appropriate.”
When the news was first revealed by MaltaToday, the Commissino claimed there was no “situation of conflict of interest” with the fact the company is owned by the PN, with deputy leader and deputy PM Tonio Borg as both a nominal shareholder and a director of the company.
Dowgielewicz insisted the Commission was aware Media.Link was owned by a political party but this was “considered to be a situation of conflict of interests as defined in the tender specifications.” The Commission claims Media.Link was chosen on the basis of best value for money.
According to the service contract seen by MaltaToday, contractors have to “abstain from any contact likely to compromise his independence” and “take all necessary measures to prevent any situation that could compromise the impartial and objective performance of the contract. Such conflict of interests could arise in particular as a result of… political or national affinity.”
mvella@mediatoday.com.mt
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