Reference is made to the article entitled “NAO report highlights irregularities in payments to Ministry’s private secretariat” (TMIS, 29 January).

The article states that “irregularities were committed at the private secretariat of the then Ministry for Transport and Communications which in March 2004 became the Ministry for Competitiveness and Communications”.

I am obliged to point out that no such irregularities were committed within the private secretariat of the Ministry for Transport and Communications, nor within the secretariat of the Ministry for Competitiveness and Communications which succeeded it in March 2004.

Another point which needs, perhaps, to be emphasised is the fact that in the 12 January issue of the sister paper The Malta Independent, the same journalist reported the same topic but in a completely different manner.

I hope that it is not too much to expect that an “investigative journalist” would verify the allegations to be included in an article, especially when he does not even deem it ethical to consult the Ministry concerned, and more so when this time round his own article is not in line with his former contributions.

Lisa Libreri

Communications Co-Ordinator

Ministry for Competitiveness and Communications

Editor’s note: The claim regarding irregularities within the Ministry for Transport and Communications was made in the Auditor’s Report itself although a further check has since shown that the heading of the Auditor’s Report, though technically correct, was misleading due to the change in the composition of ministries in March 2004.