Gonzi does not exclude inquiry into oil procurement scandal

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi did not rule out calling a governmental inquiry into oil procurement following allegations of corruption uncovered by MaltaToday.

Speaking after the opening of a day-centre for the elderly in Kirkop, Gonzi stressed that he had requested police investigations immediately and explained that further inquiries would be held after the Police investigations are over.

 "At this point we should allow the Police to investigate the allegations thoroughly in all liberty and then we will take it from there," Gonzi said.

A MaltaToday investigation revealed that Frank Sammut, the former chief executive of the MOBC, was paid a consultancy fee by commodities supplier Trafigura for oil consignments to Enemalta, paid through a Swiss bank account whose beneficiary was a Gibraltar company he owned.

On Sunday, in another MaltaToday investigation, email correspondence, bank transfers and online chats were revealed and showed how businessman George Farrugia played a pivotal role in Enemalta's oil procurement decisions, while oil commodities companies Total and Trafigura worked closely with Enemalta's top officials, the former MOBC chief Frank Sammut and Farrugia himself.

The private correspondence could point to the reasons for Enemalta's long business commitment with Total and Trafigura, two of its major suppliers.

Asked to react to Labour's criticism of the PN's electoral programme costing excersise, Gonzi said: "Edward Scicluna is the same person who advocated the removal of stipends and free health services. His criticism only shows that Labour is moving in the wrong direction."

Yesterday, MEP Edward Scicluna and MP Karmenu Vella slammed the PN projections as "unrealistic" and cast doubt on a new PN government's ability to recoup the funds needed to cover the pledged expenses by improving efficiencies in government's expenditure.