[WATCH] ‘Farrugia’s pardon may be revoked if he is found not to have revealed all’ – PM

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The government will decide whether or not to retract oil trader George Farrugia’s presidential pardon once the police conclude their investigations into MaltaToday’s revelations, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat announced.

In comments to MaltaToday, Muscat said that he was not privy to the information that George Farrugia gave to the investigators. "It is not something I am involved in and I will not interfere. It is now up to the police to establish whether he had told the police everything he knew and whether this information which he didn't give constitutes a crime. 
If the investigators find that Farrugia did not honour the conditions of the presidential pardon, I will present the matter to the Cabinet to consider a withdrawal of the pardon."

Addressing a political activity in Zebbug, Muscat said: “The main condition of Farrugia’s pardon was that he had to reveal everything he knew to the police.
“Now the authorities need to examine whether Farrugia did in fact say all he knew.”

Muscat’s announcement comes in the wake of MaltaToday reports published on Sunday, showing emails in which Godwin Sant, formerly head of energy regulation at the Malta Resources Authority, accepted free UK football tickets from the oil giant Trafigura at Farrugia’s behest.

Sant had been responsbile for green-lighting fuel consignments by ensuring they fall within state-regulated specifications.

This morning, the energy ministry announced that Sant has been suspended with immediate effect from the Sustainable Energy and Water Conservation Unit pending investigation.

“The e-mails published by MaltaToday show confidential e-mails, with references to meetings and people referring to each other on a first-name basis,” Muscat said. “This worries me. For the first time, these e-mails show that Farrugia had given presents to other people involved in the regulation of oil.”

Farrugia has a presidential pardon from the State on condition that he reveals the scale of kickbacks he authored for the procurement of oil to Enemalta.

Muscat also voiced concern over claims made by former Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi during his Public Accounts Committee grilling earlier this week.

“Although Gonzi said that he had no idea who Farrugia was, the e-mails published today show otherwise,” the Prime Minister said.  

‘Busuttil’s spring hunting indecision shows he cannot be Prime Minister’

Muscat criticised Opposition leader Simon Busuttil’s delay in deciding whether the PN will take a position on the spring hunting referendum. 

“Busuttil must have been the only person on the island who hadn’t known that a referendum was possible,” Muscat said. “He had over a year to decide what stance his party will take in the eventuality of a referendum but he decided to leave it to the last minute.

“It’s funny and it isn’t. Can you imagine Busuttil as Prime Minister facing a crisis where he will have to take a decision in a few hours? His delay on spring hunting is a secondary issues, but as Prime Minister he’ll have to make immediate and more important decisions that will have an effect on jobs, the economy and national security.”

With regards the referendum itself, set for 11 April, Muscat said that the decision on whether to ban the spring hunting season or not is now fully in the hands of the people, and that the government will welcome the people’s will.

‘All necessary decisions to keep Air Malta on its feet’

Muscat insisted that the government will analyse all possible means through which Air Malta can remain on its feet.

“We will not let Air Malta become another Cyprus Airways,” Muscat said, referring to the European Commission’s recent denial of a state aid package to the Cypriot national airline that caused it to shut down operations.

“We will take decisions with Air Malta that are much larger than the replacement of hot meals with breadrolls,” the Prime Minister said. “We are tied down to the airline’s original restructuring plan, but we will continue taking decisions that the previous government did not have the guts to take.” 

‘National situation undoubtedly better than it was two years ago’

Muscat spent the first portion of his speech toasting his government’s achievements. He said that the economy has grown, that unemployment has dropped to a record low, that jobs have been ensured for people with a disability, that the fiscal deficit has sunk to 2.1%, and that the debt burden for future generations will be reduced this year.

He also praised schemes such as free childcare, breakfast clubs for children who arrive at school early in the morning, and equal maternity leave benefits to mothers who adopt children.

“At the same time, we saved €3.8 million after clamping down on social benefit fraud last year.”

“We will continue sharing our economic growth with those people who are willing to work hard,” Muscat said. “The Labour Party is ultimately a movement that is built on the value of work.”