This newspaper has been closely following developments at MIA and last week, having also reported the AGM of the company last month, wrote about the many questions which were asked by shareholders and which the company refused to answer citing a variety of reasons including that these questions did not form part of the AGM agenda, that they were of a confidential nature and that they did not concern shareholders.
A comparison between the questions listed in last week's issue, and the replies, such as they were, by the company read out at the AGM, shows that many, if not all, questions raised were not answered at all by the company.
Some of the questions asked were of a very serious nature. One of the questions asked, for example, was whether "price sensitive information relating to MIA's financial performance and management accounts have been made available in an unauthorized manner to any particular shareholder" and not to the other shareholders.
In this paper's opinion, the fact that such a question was asked, and then not answered, should draw some inquiring noises from the authorities who regulate the listed companies and/or MFSA.
Public opinion has been offered leaks about why the former CEO, Markus Klaushofer, was sacked by the company. It is best not to take such leaks at face value. If, as was first whispered, Mr Klaushofer was sacked because he bought a luxury watch at below sale value, why was he then offered a €400,000 golden handshake (with which he could have purchased a boxful of luxury watches, had he so wanted) as his lawyer told MaltaToday?
Anyway, Mr Klaushofer refused the golden handshake (there was a question about that in the list we published last week - was MIA money to be used for this handshake?) and in the coming days, maybe even today, he will take MIA to an industrial tribunal.
He has his own reputation to defend and may also come up with his own take on the real reason he was sacked.
According to the Vienna press over the past days, this spat has more to it than meets the eye. It seems to be all about the coming re-appointment of the Vienna International Airport's board towards the end of this month.
The shenanigans in Malta (luxury watches and allegations of insider trading) are small change compared to the allegations flying around Vienna.
Thus the former CEO at MIA, Julian Jaeger, now joint CEO of VIA's supervisory board, found himself accused of enjoying upgrades during his time in Malta (a behaviour that is prohibited for any board member nowadays) and, more seriously, of trying to assist his brother-in-law, the Vienna lawyer Gabriel Lansky, in the Aliyev matter.
While Mr Klaushofer's case made headlines in Malta, what really interested the Austrian public was the story regarding the son of the former Austrian finance minister, the prominent Social Democrat and former Finance Minister Rudolf Edlinger, Christoph. Here the pattern is disturbingly similar.
Mr Edlinger was sacked from his post and he is now contesting the decision, which was taken by Mr Jaeger. At first Mr Edlinger was accused of taking money from foreign companies. This charge was later shelved but meanwhile an investigation on his computer turned up no less than 1,100 pornographic images and 24 videos.
Edlinger does not deny "to have received stupid and inappropriate files, because this was - and still is - practiced at the airport. I too failed to stop this, "he says. And:" Jäger also knew of and tolerated these practices, "says Edlinger's lawyer Körber." During the dismissal interview, and in the presence of several lawyers, Jäger said that the airport would be deserted if he would dismiss every employee because of such accusations. So this is definitely not a reason for dismissal. " Mr Jaeger denies having said that.
There may have been a deeper reason for his dismissal. Edlinger allegedly was in constant e-mail contact with leading SPÖ politicians behind the back of the Executive Board. He is said to have repeatedly contacted the President of the Vienna Landtag Harry Kopietz, and the Chairperson of the Supervisory Board of Airport Vienna AG, Ewald Kirschner, after having applied for a CEO position at a subsidiary of the Airport Vienna without success.
It is not surprising that the board did not like the emails. Because, in them, Edlinger accuses Jäger of carrying out public tenders only pro forma, but ultimately deciding arbitrarily. And he accuses the other CEO Ofner of massive political interference with regard to appointments.
In short and to conclude: what does all this have to do with the working of MIA, Malta's front door at a time of so much competitive pressures? When the airport was privatized, we rejoiced it was taken out of the government area where it did not belong, but hardly ever imagined it would turn out to be a place for board games of a company based elsewhere.