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‘Mysterious’ Brazilians in international graft investigations, says Labour MP
Labour lay it into construction giant boasted of having relocated its headquarters to Malta after Libyan evacuation.
7 November 2012, 12:00am
Matthew Vella
Matthew Vella
2 min read
Labour MP Leo Brincat.
A 'mysterious' Brazilian company that became the subject of recriminations and boasts between the Prime Minister and the Opposition leader during Friday's live debate on PBS, is suspected of having been involved in graft allegations, Labour MP Leo Brincat has said.
Neither the finance ministry nor the OPM has confirmed whether Odebrecht SA, a Brazilian company forced to evacuate hundreds of its workforce during the Libyan crisis, is the construction giant that would have been mentioned by Lawrence Gonzi back at the start of 2012 as an example of the new foreign investment that had been attracted to Malta.
With company offices in Sliema set up in the aftermath of the Libyan war and other offices at Mriehel, Odebrecht featured in an exchange of quips between Muscat and Gonzi during their debate on PBS last Friday.
But Labour MP Leo Brincat said that the Brazilian company has also been featured in a report [opens PDF] by Transparency International that details how countries have been enforcing the OECD's anti-bribery convention.
According to the latest report from TI, two investigations are underway concerning Odebrecht SA, for allegedly making payments in Argentina via a shell company Infiniti Group to subcontractors Skanska S.A - of Mater Dei Hospital fame - Contrara Hermanos and Techint SA in connection with the construction of a public building. The second investigation also concerns Odebrecht, reportedly involving allegations that the company paid $120 million to Angolan politicians in connection with public works contracts.
Brincat quoted from this report on Tuesday evening on Nationalist Party TV station Net, dampening claims by the prime minister that Odebrecht had relocated its operations to Malta when it turned out that the company had been forced to evacuate 3,558 of its workforce from Libya during the 2011 uprising, via catamaran to Malta.
On Friday, answering to claims by Joseph Muscat that the relocation of a "Brazilian aviation company" (the Labour leader got the business activity wrong) was untrue, Gonzi insisted that the firm had "relocated its headquarters from Brazil to Malta and operating from Malta."
Matthew Vella, a freelance journalist at MaltaToday, was formerly executive editor at Malt...
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X`hasibna GonziPn ha nemmnu kull ma jghid,ahna mhux CWIEC,bhall ma qalilna Fenech !!!!!
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It is so true that a lie never sleeps. During last Friday's TV debate Dr Lawrence Gonzi lied about the Brazilian company hoping that he would catch Dr Joseph Muscat off guard and thereby corner him. This ruse failed miserably as Dr Muscat was calm and composed throughout the debate. On the other hand Dr Gonzi was shouting, pointing his finger and coming across as a very tired politician whose days are counted. Who is cornered now?
The problem with Dr Gonzi and GonziPN is that they have been lying and making false promises and getting away with it for so long that they sincerely believe that they can continue to do so with indignation, as if people are morons. That remains to be seen in the next general elections.
Many, like myself, are keen to see whether Bondi and or Azzopardi, the "independent presenters" par excellance, will devote a programme to the issue of the Brazilian company, the hundreds of jobs that it created for the Maltese, and the millions of Ewro it has invested so far. Investigative journalism on everything! We will see.
Albert Mifsud Buckland •
This is an incredible coup by brincat. And another LG balloon goes down in smoke. Makes you wonder who is feeding this gullible information to the PM. Is this a case of making the PM look a fool with such an all so obvious silly Brazilian story?
Zack Depasquale •
There is only one way out for Dr Gonzi on this phantom Brazilian Company charade. An apology to Dr Muscat and to the people of Malta and a resignation, at least that what happens in other European countries where decency and fair play are a way of life.
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Every time Gonzi hears a samba, he would feel embarrassment swelling up.
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Another egg splashed in Gonzi's face.
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kif il PM ma jisthix jigdeb qudiem Malta u Ghawdex, veru wiccu qat ghall kollox. Dan irid lil poplu Malti javdah 5snien ohra.
