Tranter does not remember whether he received €900 gift from oil trader

Former Enemalta chairman Alex Tranter told a court that he doesn’t remember receiving €900 from oil trader George Farrugia, who was granted an amnesty regarding the Enemalta oil purchasing scandal.

Tranter said he could not recall if Farrugia had ever financed  “one of his [Tranter’s] wife’s activities.”

This emerged from the testimony of Austin Gatt during a libel case that the ex-minister instituted against Saviour Balzan, managing editor of MaltaToday.

The libel case revolves around an article in the newspaper that alleged that Gatt had met Farrugia to discuss oil purchases.

In his testimony, Tranter said that he was appointed as Enemalta chariman in July 2005, replacing Tancred Tabone and Gatt was the minister responsible for the corporation.

Moreover, Tranter couldn’t remember whether there were any board members who had served under Tabone at the time. He told the court that when he was involved in the purchase of oil as chairman of the Procurement Committee, he never declared that he had a conflict of interest with the minister “because there was none.”

Lawyer Joe Zammit Maempel, appearing on behalf of Gatt, opposed the line of questioning from Balzan’s legal counsel, lawyer Toni Abela and Tranter said that he would “send an email to the minister after these meetings, detailing the discussions and the conclusions that would have been reached.”

Tranter “could not identify only individual who was the Maltese agent for the oil companies. I used to meet with foreign representatives for Totsa and Trafigura. I had no idea that George Farrugia was a representative of Trafigura as I was informed of this internally…I don’t even know  if I was still Chairman of Enemalta when I found out about this,” he told the court.

Insisting that his meetings with Farrugia were few and far between Tranter insisted that he met Farrugia “informally, during social events, but never had any formal meetings”. I never had any dealings with George Farrugia.”

Asked by lawyer Toni Abela how, as chairman, he did not know what Farrugia’s role was,Tranter repeated that the negotiations used to be carried out by external company representatives.

When asked whether he could confirm whether he was on the receiving end of a €900 gift by Farrugia, as claimed by the rouge oil trader in front of the Public Account Committee, Tranter answered that he could not remember.

Tranter could not remember whether Farrugia had sponsored any commercial activities for Tranter’s wife. Moreover, he said that when he met Farrugia, he never mentioned Austin Gatt.

Tranter claimed that he had decided to not remain Enemalta Chairman “as he had left to work abroad.”

Under cross-examination, Tranter told the court that no counter-order for oil was issued by the Minister at the time, Austin Gatt.

Several witnesses, including George Farrugia, Trancred Tabone and Frank Sammut, will not be able to testify before criminal proceedings in their respect are also concluded. Abela suggested that the case be suspended sine die until the other proceedings are completed, however Zammit Maempel opposed this request, saying that Balzan “should have had the necessary proof in hand when he was writing the article.”

The case will continue on the 27 November.