Government says Pullicino must explain shortcomings in award of PV contract

Nationalist MP George Pullicino must explain how a €35 million contract was awarded to a company despite providing an unsigned bank document in their bid, the government said this evening.

Referring to the now-cancelled €35 million contract awarded to the Alberta photovoltaic consortium, the government said Pullicino must explain how a tender awarded on the eve of the election included an unsigned bank guarantee issued by a bank that no longer existed.

“Pullicino was the one who personally delivered the letter of intent. He must now explain,” the government said, adding that he should also explain the high feed-in tariff.

It said, that “one could understand Pullicino’s panicked reaction when the scandalous way of how the contract had been awarded was revealed”.

Referring to two letters published by the government on Friday evening showing that the Department of Contracts and the Malta Resources Authority had nothing to do with the issuing and adjudicating of the contract, the government accused Pullicino of lying.

In reaction to yesterday’s revelations, Pullicino issued a statement in which he reiterated that he was never involved in the selection process.
The MP said that Mizzi “was once again resorting to a series of lies with Joseph Muscat’s blessing.”

“What Konrad Mizzi said was nothing new as the content of the letters was already revealed by the former MRRA permanent secretary Chris Ciantar in a letter he issued last week.”

Pullicino added that “unlike current ministers” he never interfered in the selection process.