Tranter's company-funded London trip scrutinised in court

A court has heard current Enemalta executive chairman Frederick Azzopardi testify that former Enemalta chairman Alex Tranter used company funds to pay for two rooms at the Hilton in London while attending an international forum, shortly before resigning his post.

Tranter is accused of misapplying company funds for his personal use during his tenure at the head of the local energy giant.

At the centre of today’s evidence was a company-financed trip to London by Tranter to take part in the 2010 International  Petroleum Forum in which the company’s credit card was used to book two rooms at the London Hilton hotel. One room was for him and the other for his personal assistant, Bronia Mercieca, who was officially on leave, Azzopardi said.

Azzopardi  told the court that he had attended the 2014 edition of the forum, which he described as an opportunity to socialise with other petroleum sector company representatives. The event involved several cocktail parties, lunches and dinners, he explained.

Enemalta employees travelling on work trips would normally have their flights paid for, receiving a subsistence allowance of €250 per night to cover accommodation and other expenses, he explained. On some occasions, as was the case for the trip in question, Enemalta would pay for the hotel room  and only half of the subsistence allowance.

Azzopardi said that he had realised that four rooms had been booked for only three people, including two rooms at the Hilton, at a cost of £1,200. Both of these rooms had been booked under Tranter’s name.

Lawyer Joe Giglio, appearing for Tranter, pointed out that Azzopardi and the accused had never worked together. Tranter had been an engineer in a senior civil service post before his appointment as Enemalta CEO in January last year.

He grilled the current Enemalta chairman on whether any decisions had been taken with respect to the applicability of travel procedures and what business deals were associated with the IPF during Tranter’s tenure, before stating that it was useless to ask further questions as the witness was not working at Enemalta at the time.

The case continues on the 26th March.