George Farrugia will not enjoy Parliamentary protection in PAC hearing

Oil trader George Farrugia will tomorrow appear in front of the Public Accounts Committee and will not enjoy protection provided to other witnesses, Speaker Anglu Farrugia ruled.

Nationalist MP and chairman of the PAC hearings into the Auditor General's audit of Enemalta's fuel procurement policy, Jason Azzopardi had asked the Speaker to decide whether the Presidential Pardon granted to Farrugia was also applicable to the PAC hearings.

Farrugia turned State's evidence after being granted a presidential pardon, when MaltaToday revealed back in January 2013 that one of the companies he represented - Dutch commodities giant Trafigura - was paying an Enemalta consultant a "commission" on the supply of oil to Enemalta. The resulting criminal investigation revealed a network of bribery reaching up right to the top echelons of Enemalta management.

The Speaker today ruled that the pardon also applied to the PAC hearings and the Parliamentary guidelines which allow witnesses to refuse answering questions which might incriminate them do not apply to Farrugia.

Farrugia added that the presidential pardon was given on the condition that he only speaks the truth, otherwise the pardon would be revoked and this also applies for PAC hearings.

He also said that MPs still have a right to refer any questions posed to the witness to the Speaker, however Farrugia cannot refuse to answer any questions.