Private companies to carry out audit at WasteServ

Audit firms Nexia BT, RSM Malta and Idea Management Consulting Ltd were commissioned to carry out a thorough review of WasteServ, the minister Leo Brincat said. The review is expected to be delivered within six weeks.

Environment minister Leo Brincat explained that the review studies he commissioned at the national waste agency, WasteServ, were intended to carry a "strategic review" and a detailed scrutiny of the agency's operations.

In reply to a Parliamentary question by Opposition MP Charlo Bonnici, the minister said that the review teams were set up in the light of the damning report by the Auditor General on a series of shortcomings at WasteServ.

"The idea is to have these review teams look at all aspects, including the management, operations and financial side among others."

On announcing the new WasteServ board, Brincat had also said that a review team led by physicist Edward Mallia was appointed and  he explained that the team would be submitting an " report on the Sant Antnin recycling plant's environmental impact and its efficiency in energy generation."

Brincat had said the members on the team had no conflict of interest and explained that Mallia would be joined by environment experts Louiselle Spiteri and Alan Pulis.

Speaking in Parliament tonight, the minister said: "We hope and auger that what was kept secret from the public and the taxpayer in the last few years is exposed and everybody would then be asked to shoulder their responsibilities. Even this is politics."

He added that in the near future he would be referring to a study commissioned and completed by the previous administration on abuses and bad practices at WasteServ which was shelved, "while tha agancy insisted in doing the opposite of what was recommended in the study."