The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) meeting yesterday called on Opposition Leader Alfred Sant to substantiate his allegations over contractual irregularities at the Water Services Corporation and shoddy work at Gozo’s waste water treatment plant.
The motion was presented by Industry, Investment and Information Technology Minister Austin Gatt and was accepted by PAC chairman Charles Mangion, a ministry statement said.
Dr Sant recently challenged Dr Gatt and WSC chairman Michael Falzon to order a public inquiry into tendering practices at the WSC, where he alleged contracts were injudiciously awarded to a Gozitan contractor on the basis that he was friendly with certain ministers and officials.
But, according to a statement released by the ministry yesterday, the committee yesterday established that there was no Gozitan contractor involved in the Gozitan waste water plant project in the first place.
The committee yesterday decided Dr Sant should answer for the allegations and provide some sort of proof of their veracity.
Among the allegations the PAC requested Dr Sant to substantiate was his statement that the contract for works at the waste water treatment plant in Gozo had been awarded to the contractor in question, although there had been other offers that were Lm1.5 million lower than the winning bid. Dr Sant also alleged that the contractor in question formed part of the inner circle of Gozo Minister Giovanna Debono and Urban Development and Roads Minister Jesmond Mugliett.
Dr Sant had also alleged the WSC chairman had attempted to conceal faulty work at the project in question, and that Dr Gatt had requested Mr Falzon to take action on the matter.
The ministry added that the committee, in its discussions yesterday, had established that the allegations raised by Dr Sant did not hold water, and that it was clear there was not even a Gozitan contractor carrying out work on the project in question in the first place.
The ministry added that from the PAC’s discussions yesterday it was also clear that if there had been any irregularity or work of poor quality having been carried out at the sewage plant, Dr Gatt had not been aware of them and that as such he had never requested anyone to take action over them – as confirmed by PAC chairman Charles Mangion yesterday.
Dr Gatt added he was waiting for Dr Sant to, as soon as possible, substantiate his allegation before the committee.
Meanwhile, in a statement issued yesterday evening, the Malta Labour Party said that the PN has shown it does not have confidence in the Auditor General, and has also confirmed that it wants to turn the PAC into a “circle of partisan politics”. The MLP said that up to yesterday, the PAC had managed to keep clear from partisanship.
The MLP said that during the PAC discussions, the PN majority within the committee voted against a motion moved by Labour MP Helena Dalli.
The motion moved by Ms Dalli proposed that the PAC should call on the Auditor General to investigate and draw up a report on the allegations written by Minister Austin Gatt in his letter dated 30 August, as well as on the anomalies in expenses on the waste water plant project mentioned in the letter sent to WSC chairman from the same minister on 9 August.
The MLP motion called on the Auditor General to present his report in Parliament in the shortest time possible, so that it would be discussed by the PAC immediately afterwards.
However, the MLP said, in a strong sign of no confidence in the Auditor General, the Nationalist Party PAC representatives voted against this motion. Instead, they moved a motion which called on the PAC to investigate the allegations written by Minister Austin Gatt in his letter dated 30 August. Since the PN holds a majority in the PAC, this motion was passed.
However, the MLP representatives, including PAC chairman Charles Mangion, voted against the motion, so the impression given by the statement issued by Minister Austin Gatt that the PAC unanimously voted in favour of the PN motion is false, the MLP said.
Up to yesterday, the practice adopted was that in the majority of cases, the PAC calls on the Auditor General to draw up a report and these reports would then be discussed by the PAC.
However, the Nationalist Party, through its PAC members, led by Mr Gatt, yesterday clearly showed a lack of confidence in the Auditor General and confirmed that it intends to use the PAC for partisan gains, the MLP said.