Updated | Police to oppose request by businessman for Presidential pardon

Businessman George Farrugia has reportedly filed a request for a presidential pardon to turn State's evidence on the fuel procurement scandal that has engulfed state utility Enemalta.

An urgent meeting is to be held this afternoon between Commissioner of Police John Rizzo and a government representative, possible justice minister Chris Said, to discuss the request for pardon, MaltaToday has learnt.

This newspaper understands that the police will be opposing the request by Farrugia to turn State's evidence. "There is enough evidence in hand, and it is now a question of piecing it together," a government official privy to the investigations told MaltaToday.

Farrugia, formerly an owner of family business John's Garage, was implicated in the scandal after MaltaToday's revelations that former MOBC chief executive Frank Sammut had received commissions from Trafigura for the consignment of oil to Enemalta; and that Sammut had also been in direct contact with Trafigura officials on the issue of 'commissions', as revealed in emails published by this newspaper.

Farrugia is being represented by lawyer Franco Debono, the Nationalist MP, who earlier this week said Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi's repeated offer for protection to any whistleblower failed to give any reassurances when the implicated were liable to give information on government ministers.

The police have already questioned former investments minister Austin Gatt, and former Enemalta chairman Tancred Tabone as well as former MOBC chief Frank Sammut.

Gonzi may have been aware of attempts by Farrugia to turn State's evidence when on Thursday during a political debate in Kalkara, the prime minister stated that he expected more details on the oil procurement allegations to be revealed.

MaltaToday's revelations show that Trafigura was in direct contact with Farrugia, in discussions over 'consultancy' fees for the sale of oil to Enemalta, which were paid in his bank account at the Banque Privée Edmond de Rotschild, in Geneva. His email conversations with Total's Nicolas Vernerey also touch upon a "guy inside" Enemalta, while Farrugia also discussed with Trafigura's Naeem Ahmed the role of MOBC chief executive Frank Sammut acting as a consultant for Trafigura for the sale of oil in Morocco.

Trafigura's Naeem Ahmed also tells George Farrugia in one piece of correspondence: "As promised I have tried to increase the commission rates, I have been unsuccessful, so for all business for 2004 commissions it must remain 10 per cent and will only increase to 15 per cent for all new business for 2005."

On his part, Frank Sammut was acting as a consultant to Enemalta chairman Tancred Tabone when he was paid consultancy fees by Trafigura for the direct sale of oil to Enemalta, having been the beneficiary of monies paid into a Swiss bank account belonging to his Gibraltar-based company.

Police are also said to be investigating the role of the company Island Bunker Oils, a director of which is Tancred Tabone, said to have been taken ill during police interrogation and escorted to Mater Dei Hospital last week.

Labour MP Leo Brincat had warned Austin Gatt of an alleged conflict of interest for Sammut when he was rumoured of planning to become an independent consultant for the recently formed company Island Bunker Oils Ltd, once he departs from MOBC.

While Sammut did not hold a registered directorship or shareholding in Island Bunker Oils Ltd, the company was at the time tendering for the use of MOBC's spare capacity after MOBC was sold by Enemalta to the government as part of a recapitalization process; and had its bunkering operations cease to instead be used as an oil storage depot.

Additionally, Enemalta chairman Tancred Tabone would later become a director and shareholder of Island Bunker Oils in May 2008 - three years after leaving Enemalta.