Minister hits back at Labour with bad memories of police force
Austin Gatt ‘has no problem’ to be questioned by police over Frank Sammut allegations.
21 January 2013, 12:00am
Matthew Vella
Matthew Vella
2 min read
Austin Gatt has hit back at Labour MP Evarist Bartolo over the police force's record in the 1980s.
Austin Gatt will collaborate with the police in their investigation into alleged corruption in Enemalta's fuel procurement - but the bullish transport minister could not fail to hit back at calls from Labour that he be questioned by police, by harking back to the police force's questionable record when Labour was in government during the 1980s.
"I have no problem should the police wish to question me and I will collaborate fully and without any qualification with any investigations being carried out by the police," Gatt said in a ministerial statement, shortly after Labour MP Evarist Bartolo said the minister should be questioned over reports that Trafigura had paid 'consultancy fees' to MOBC chief executive Frank Sammut for fuel consignments to Enemalta.
But Gatt's retort was coloured by little explanation on why he had terminated Frank Sammut's employment in late 2004, or why he had been appointed to the oil procurement board for Enemalta by the minister.
Instead, his reply - issued by the Department of Information - came in the form of a commentary of his "less than pleasurable" treatment at the hands of the police force in the 1980s.
"Going back to the police headquarters will remind Minister Gatt of the 48 hours he spent in jail in 1982 when interrogated for organizing the PN counting hall team during the general election of 1981, and the four years he then spent not being able to travel abroad because Evarist Bartolo's friend, the ex-Police Commissioner Lawrence Pullicino, charged the minister and 13 other counting agents of trying to usurp power from the socialist government."
Gatt added some more detail, although not related to the Sammut case.
"It will also remind the Minister of the second time he was arrested a year later (1983) and again spent 48 hours as guest of the Labour Party's police and this time three burly hooded individuals entered his cell in the early hours of the morning and spent the next ten minutes swearing at Eddie Fenech Adami and his family.
"In those days, Evarist Bartolo sat serenely within the Labour Party and never moved a finger. It seems that Evarist Bartolo has not changed much since the 80's since even now he seems to expect to order the Police Commissioner what to do."
Sammut, suspected of having received commissions from commodities group Trafigura for the sale of low sulphur oil to state utility Enemalta, has not yet been questioned by police.
Enemalta Corporation and the Mediterranean Oil Bunkering Corporation are cooperating with the police in an investigation related to the alleged commissions paid to Francis Sammut for the purchase of fuel consignments to Enemalta.
FULL STORY | Kickbacks paid for Enemalta oil purchases to procurement official
The finance ministry today said that Sammut's employment was terminated in July 2004 after a Cabinet decision for the MOBC to cease bunkering operations and instead assume the role of an oil storage depot. In his letter to Sammut, then MOBC chairman Tancred Tabone informed Sammut that his contract had been terminated.
Matthew Vella, a freelance journalist at MaltaToday, was formerly executive editor at Malt...
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Let us look at the future dear Austin. It seems that gone the good old days for Austin. Dear Austin it is useless crying on spilled milk.
Zack Depasquale •
X'jippretendi il-Ministru Gatt, li jaghmel skwadra Paramilitari kif kienu tal-gakketta blu u ma jkellmu hadd.Tisemma hafna l-vjolenza tat-tmeninijiet, jien nemmen li din l-istorja ghad trid tinkiteb. Perezempju il-pulizija kellha 25 sena jew iktar biex titkellem ma politiku ewlieni f'Malta li qal pubblikament li kien jaf min kienu wara iz-zewg omicidji politici li kellna Malta sal-llum dan il-politiku ewlieni qatt ma ssejah id-depot biex jikxef dak li jaf. Rigward vjolenza ukoll ta min wiehed isemmi il-vjolenza psikologika li GonziPN u shabu haddmu tul dawn is-snin. Ghalfejn tahsbu hafna minna jiktbu taht Nom De Plume? Mela mhux vjolenza psikologika li persuna taparsi mhux fil-politika imma ghandha hafna x titlef jekk jinbidel il-Gvern tattaka fuq il-blog taghha il-familjari jew nies li m'ghandhom xejn x'jaqsmu mal-hajja pubblika u l-kummisarju tal-Pulizija frisk bhal hassa u biex jaghmel xihaga irid il-Prim Ministru jigbidlu l-ispaga. Dik hi ir-realta li qieghed jghix dan il-poplu gwejjed taht GonziPN.
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@ fenea.
Ma semmejtx il-bombi li kien jisplodu kull gimgha wara l-biebin ta' tobba, ufficjali publici, u businessmen bhal Bertu Mizzi siehbi.
Jaqaw ma jaqbillex issemihom?
Mhux ahjar tibda tikteb l-iskuza ta' dan kollu ghall-firma ta' l-idolu tieghek adami?
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Ma tantx tidher li għandek wiċċek imċappas bil-H..A sur fenea biex tesiġi li il-partit Laburista jitlob skuza pubblika ta' dak li int tgħid li sar fi zmien Mintoff . Ta' xiex tridu jitlob skuza , talli tak ic-children allowance , talli tak il-paga minima , talli tak pensjoni taz-zewġ terzi , talli tak servizz ta' saħħa b'xejn , talli tak il-bonus kull sitt xhur , talli tak id-dinjita' bħala ħaddiem u elf ħaġa oħra . Ta xiex , ta' xiex , sur fenea ? Issemmix vedikazzjonijiet sur fenea , għax inthom professuri fil-vendikazzjonijiet . Staqsu lill min kien vittma tat-transfers li tajtu lill-min ma kienx laburist . Staqsu kemm għamiltu vendikazzjonijiet ma dawn in-nies . Araw kemm ċaħħaddtu promozzjonijiet lin-nies ta' twemmin laburista li minkejj li kienu kapaċissmi ħallejtuhom ma jagħmli xejn . Tridni inkompli sur fenea . Ħallina ha ngħixu u tkunux aktar ipokriti .
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Typical reaction of someone that has things to hide! Rear guard action and defensiveness!! I just hope that Labour has learnt from its mistakes of the past for Malta's sake. But for the Nationalists to ignore all of their wrong doing and keep harping on about Labour's past is just weak! They are still living "their past" with corruption and everything else that they brought with some good things too. Thank God for Malta's sake. The question is: can Labour be trusted again so we can see what they can do this time around? And if that is to be it'll give the Nationalists an opportunity to clean up - and don't they need it!!!
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Mela nesa dan il-bravu Ministru Austin Gatt illi dritt wara li il-partit tieghu tela' fil-gvern l-ewwel ma ghamel kien li ta PROMOZZJONI u anke rega dahhal lura lil dawk l-ufficjali gholja li tal-korp li kienu telqu u l-kollhathom promozzjoni jew tnejn?
Dan insieh il-Ministru Gatt ghax ahna ma nsejniehx u lil dawn tawhom promozzjoni mhux ghax hadmu kontra n-Nazzjonalist imma nahseb jiena talli fil-hames sninta' qabel halqu kemm alla halaq incidenti a favur tal-partit nazzjonalista ghax kieku kien bil-kontra kieku lil dawn ghaddewhom GURI bhal ma ghaddew lill-ex Kummissarju Pullicino. Mhux hekk nibqghu tghid sur Ministru nhalluk tirrombla minn fuq kullhadd, nahseb li l-ebda riha ta' xejn ma kien hemm fil-kazi ricenti ta' l-Arriva, BWSD, Fairmount, Sea Malta, Air Malta etc. Se jasal iz-zmien li xi hadd ha jibda jhallas ta' ghemilu fil-passat.
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One vivid memory of my childhood is seeing a picture of a gun-toting Austin In Zejtun. Bringing up the past is not such a great idea Austin. It just shows how confused and lost you are.
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Pity the No Nonesence Austin Gatt tries to wall up himself within a timewarp of a misery (the 8os)instead of fending off this damning issue when he was king
Well if Austin recalls tal-gakketta blu he ought to shut up and talk less doing the PN a favor.
As for us tax paying imbecils let us fathom why we had to fork out such energy tariff hike which acting care taker Fenech tries to make us lump this was brought about during the ill fated 2 year labor stint escalating oil prices !!(ha ha)
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WAQA' L-GHASS!! IS-SOLTU STORJA TA' L-ANTIK!! MELA QEGĦEDIN DAHRKOM MAL-ĦAJT?
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MATTHEW IR RISPOST AUSTIN GATT TAJILEK FIS 19.30.
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pattejtuhielu sew lil Pullicono,mela?
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prosit austin talli fakkartna kif konna nghixu taht ir regim ta mintoff. zminijiet tal biza u fejn malta kienet tal laburisti jew ahjar mintoffjani biss. kien fenech adami li rega ta lura id dinjita lil poplu kollu u fejn malta verament saret tal maltin kollha. il kliem fieragh li qed jghid joseph muscat huwa kollu kliem populist u ghall gallerija. QABEL MA IL PARTIT LABURISTA JITLOB SKUZA PUBBLIKA TA DAK KOLLU LI GHAMEL LILL MIN MA KIENX JAQBEL MIEGHU, KULL DISKORS LI JINGHAD DWAR MAHFRA U GHAQDA MHUX SE JITWEMMEN.
Emmanuel Mallia •
Dr Gatt, you raised the PN to its highest peak in the 80's, now you have lowered it to the abyss.
This is not the PN I used to know. Who cares about the past ? Those tactics are no more valid today. The PN should tell us its plans for the future, because up till now, Gonzi has promised, or intend to do NOTHING. Just a continuation.
Rita Pizzuto •
Il-qazba ma ccaqlaqx ghal xejn, la fiz- zmienijiet nth Edina u wisq inqas Issa. Ara lili qatt ma gabruni l- pulizija li ghandhom I'd-dmir li Jin retinas f 'kaz ta' suspect. Mhux Winston?
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Whenever the PN is in trouble they bring up the bad old days. They always talk about physical violence but somehow forget to mention the more evil, wanton violence of bombing terrorism. This latter type of violence is usually carried out by cowards who plant their bombs and then run away. Bombing, by its very nature is indiscriminate, hurting unintended victims. Karen Grech being the most obvious case. All and any violence should be condemned and the perpetrators brought to justice whatever their political leanings.
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mhux jien, mhux jien, mhux jien mama, imma kien Joseph Muscat :))))))
Luke Camilleri •
Fuq ILLUM qedin nitkellmu Dr. Gatt!
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"Austin Gatt will collaborate with the police in their investigation into alleged corruption in Enemalta's fuel procurement." Big words from a pompous arse! He WILL have to collaborate whether he wants to or not. Iz-zejt beda tielgha f'wicc l-ilma!
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IL VERA MINISTRU KIESAH U LI TBIED MINNEK LIL KULLHADD VERA ARROGANTI
