Updated | Frank Sammut to face trial by jury for aggravated corruption

Former MOBC chief executive and Enemalta consultant Frank Sammut has been placed under a bill of indictment, and will face trial by jury for aggravated corruption, trading in influence and money laundering.

Frank Sammut, 61 of Marsaxlokk, the man whom MaltaToday had revealed last January as having received thousands of dollars in kickbacks from Dutch commodities firm Trafigura for oil consignments to Enemalta, was placed under a bill of indictment this afternoon, after a magistrate found enough evidence for him to stand trial.

Sammut was charged last month together with former Enemalta chairman Tancred Tabone, for having received bribes, traded in influence and committed money laundering in a case which flung the doors wide open to a probe which has since led to the arraignment of seven people, all officials at the State-owned energy supplier.

In a sitting held before Magistrate Anthony Vella, defence lawyer Joseph Giglio pointed out that since his client has all his assets frozen, he was asking to have the court decree that his client should be entitled to an income of €6,000 a year.

Giglio said that Sammut receives a monthly pension of €900 which goes straight into a joint account he holds with his wife at Bank of Valletta.

He asked for the court to grant him access to the pension for him to lead a decent life. The court upheld this request and granted him a maximum withdrawal of €1,165 per month.

Another witness summoned today was an official from Transport Malta who presented evidence that corroborated details given by State-witness George Farrugia, who revealed that he had given Sammut a car as a gift in 2001.

The official confirmed that Frank Sammut had registered a brand new Ssanyong Korando car in 2001, which was then imported by Farrugia's family business John's Group. The car was transferred onto Sammut's son Jonathan in 2006.

A witness during the compilation of evidence against two owners of Island Bunker Oils Ltd said that former MOBC chief Frank Sammut would determine the criteria necessary for the award of barge chartering agreements from the state bunkering arm, to the company he was a silent partner of.

During evidence given before Magistrate Edwina Grima, the company secretary at Mediterranean Oil Bunkering Corporation (MOBC) explained how the former chief executive used to receive the submissions for barge charters, assess their criteria and later recommend to the board which contracts to approve.

Hugh Attard Montalto was testifying in the case against Francis Portelli, 60 of Ta' Xbiex and Anthony Cassar, 61 of Tarxien who face charges of money laundering and corruption.

Questioned by prosecuting Inspector Angelo Gafà, Attard Montalto explained how in September 2002, MOBC had received 13 offers for barge charters.

The offers were received by Frank Sammut, MOBC's former chief executive, and also by Tancred Tabone, then non-executive chairman of MOBC.

Both men, formerly silent partners in Island Bunker Oils Ltd, face charges of aggravated corruption, money laundering and trading in influence. They are also accused of having hid their conflict of interest by concealing their shareholding in Island Bunker Oils Limited, a commercial competing company to MOBC.

In his evidence, Attard Montalto said that it was Frank Sammut who out of 13 offers for charter, had recommended to the board of directors his assessment of the offers, recommending the offer and get approval.

MOBC's board - composed of Tancred Tabone, Frank Sammut, Renato Agius Muscat and Vivienne Galea Pace - had met on 10 October 2002 and approved Sammut's recommendation for a two-year charter of MT Oarsman.

A 'Charter Party' was signed with Oarsman Maritime Limited despite an offer being submitted to MOBC by Tank Ship Management Limited, which was addressed at Princess Elisabeth Street in Ta' Xbiex, which responded to Francis Portelli, who was also the signatory to the agreement.

Attard Montalto said that the agreement cost MOBC US$3,100 per day.

In 2004, the barge MT Oarsman changed its name to MT Anchor Bay. When the contract was nearing expiry, MOBC informed Oarsman Maritime that the contract was not going to be renewed, given the government's decision to cease MOBC's operations as an oil supplier, and instead operate for storage purposes.

MOBC owed US$657,000 to Oarsman Maritime, while a number of 'related' companies had to pay MOBC. All parties had agreed to offset all their pending invoices with each other.