Police should investigate Enemalta officials who received gifts – minister

Oil trader George Farrugia told police investigators he gave Enemalta officials an individual gift shortly after finance minister Tonio Fenech took responsibility of the state utility in 2010.

In a comment to MaltaToday, Fenech insisted that the police should investigate any such allegations by Farrugia - who has been granted a presidential pardon to turn State's evidence - that individuals at Enemalta had received gifts from the trader.

There is no smoking gun that these gifts were connected to any corrupt practices.

Fenech has told this newspaper that he is "unaware of such information".

"Obviously, it is the Police Commissioner's duty to investigate such allegations and take all the necessary steps," Fenech said, reiterating government's commitment to fight corruption.

"We always went to the police whenever we had such information. If this allegation turns out to be true, then it is the police's duty to investigate and take the necessary steps," Fenech said.

Yesterday, Fenech said anybody at Enemalta who may have received gifts from oil trader George Farrugia "would have been part of the process of corruption" and that the police should step in to take the steps necessary.

On Sunday, MaltaToday was told that Farrugia could provide information that gifts, financial transactions and payments were made to third parties, as part of his modus operandi when he acted as a representative for oil giants Trafigura and Total. The testimony would widen the scope of the investigation being carried out by the police.