Police say MRA director had €400,000 in unaccounted assets

Police say they believe a civil servant had some €400,000 in banking deposits that could not be accounted for with his income as a public official.

The evidence was presented in court against Godwin Sant, who is suspected of having assisted pardoned oil trader George Farrugia in his fuel pump business.

Godwin Sant, formerly a director in charge of fuel pump specifications for the Malta Resources Authority, was arrested after MaltaToday revealed that he had accepted football tickets to a Premiership league match paid by oil giant Trafigura at the behest of Farrugia, their Malta agent.

Police examined his bank accounts in their investigations, finding large deposits in 2008/9 that had nothing to do with his government employment.

His income tax declarations showed he was employed with the government and that he had a small income from lecturing.

But further investigations revealed cheques from a number of companies.

Vassallo also said that Sant had purchased a €250,000 house without a bank loan, and that his income declarations did not tally with this purchase.

MRA chief executive Anthony Rizzo had told police during the investigation that Sant, as a civil servant and public official, was contractually precluded from working privately outside of the MRA without prior permission. He had only done this once, to lecture at university.

Sant was also found to be a director of Vault Ltd and Estramento, which provided offshore services. Sant told police he saw no conflict of interest.

Godwin Sant was arrested the day MaltaToday broke the story, Superintendent Paul Vassallo, from the Economic Crimes Unit, told the court.

Sant exercised his right to silence on the advice of his lawyers, Vassallo said. The next day he went to the police, saying that the matter was a storm in a teacup, and that he had been given the £38 tickets by Farrugia as he was a football enthusiast and that he wanted to see a game but could not find tickets.

Sant told police his job was to ensure that the fuel from the pumps was up to standard.

Police found that Sant had however assisted Farrugia in a hydrogen fuel conference presentation abroad, something he did in his private capacity as an engineer in alternative energy. They said Sant had his travel expenses reimbursed, but was not paid for this service.