Parliament’s cladding specifications changed after quarrying started

Maltese stone suppliers Q-Stone Ltd failed to meet quota and specifications of stone for Parliament building

In the years it took Italian company Filiberti to complete the building of the new Maltese parliament, Maltese stone suppliers Q-Stone Ltd never managed to quarry the amount of stone agreed upon as specified in the parliament tender for works, and the stone did not meet the required specifications, leaving Filiberti with additional expenses, costs and delays.

This emerged under cross-examination of Q-Stone director Mark Vella by Filiberti’s lawyers.

The Parma-based firm is being sued for €300,000 in payments for the supply of Maltese stone from Q-Stone, a subsidiary of Halmann Vella Group.

Lawyer Franco Galea presented an extract from the tender highlighting the conditions, specifications and quality of stone to be used in the building of the Renzo Piano designed parliament, as well as the 2011 agreement between the Grand Harbour Regeneration Corporation and Q-Stone.

Vella said that when work started the specifications and requirements for the stone were changed. “The requirements and specs were changed as soon as stone started leaving the quarry. There are signed documents showing this, and I will exhibit them in the next sitting.”

Filiberti exhibited its purchase orders, and their lawyer Franco Galea questioned Vella about a number of tests outlined in the tender document as having to be carried out with every 100 cubic metres of stone quarried, demanding confirmation that the tests were indeed carried out.

The witness replied the tests had been carried out by Terracore, but Filiberti’s lawyer exhibited a document showing that no test results were handed to the GHRC before April 2015, and only after GHRC demanded them from Q-Stone.

Vella said the stone had been quarried from the Ta’ Klement quarry in Qala, Gozo belonging to Road Works Ltd. The stone was then transported to a yard in Marsa where Halmann Vella employees would clean and measure the stone, before Filiberti picks the stone to ship it off to Parma in Italy. The stone would then be cut and processed and shipped back to Malta. Any remaining stone was sold back to Halmann Vella.

But Filiberti sad that Q-Stone had failed to meet the 200 cubic metre of stone output required monthly as outlined in the terms and conditions. Vella promptly replied that every truck Filiberti sent to the yard had always been loaded and never returned to the project site empty.

Lawyers Franco Galea, Lucio Sciriha and Andrew Grima are appearing for CFF Filiberti whilst Maxilene Pace is appearing on behalf of Q-Stone Ltd.

The case continues on 21st March.