The Justice and Culture Ministry awarded three contracts worth more than €179,000 by direct order, Justice Minister Owen Bonnici said this evening.

Dr Bonnici was replying to a parliamentary question by PN Shadow Minister Jason Azzopardi, who asked the minister to say how many contract were given to this particular company, and how many were given by direct order. In his reply, the Justice Minister said Tec Ltd, was given four contracts. The company is owned by an Enemalta employee who is seconded to the General Workers Union. 

It was given a €58,000 contract by direct order for erecting the stage, platea and sound at the 2014 Carnival. The company obtained snother contract, worth €29,500, by direct order for cleaning of the Marsa Shipbuilding site before the Junior Eurovision Song Contest. Then it was given a €92,132 contract, also by direct order, for the ‘provisional construction’ of a backstage area and press centre. The company won a €75,679 tender which was published in the government gazette for the 2015 Carnival.

Earlier this year, Dr Azzopardi had slammed the government for failing to publish a list of contracts awarded by direct order to the company. He had revealed that Tec Ltd had been given a €27,000 direct order contract in the now infamous event where police officers were made to work as waiters. Dr Azzopardi had claimed that the company enjoyed a “monopoly” on government outdoor functions.

In a comment a GWU spokesperson said that the union has no connection with this company