Transport ministry ignored directive not to award direct orders to Sapiano’s legal firm

Austin Gatt's transport minister ignored recommendations by the finance ministry in 2009 not to continue awarding direct orders to a Nationalist candidate, Georg Sapiano.

While the finance ministry had approved two requests for direct orders to have Sapiano's legal firm Aequitas serve as legal consultants to the transport ministry, the ministry had also warned that the firm should not be reappointed by direct order.

While approving a direct order dated 15 January 2009, the finance ministry said in its approval for a €300,000 order that direct orders to Aequitas should no longer be awarded for reasons of transparency, accountability, and competitiveness.

Then in a second direct order awarded on 22 April 2009, the ministry again "directed" the transport ministry "not to continue giving direct orders to the same service provider for the sake of transparency, accountability and competitivity [sic]"

Despite this, the Transport Ministry continued awarding direct orders to Georg Sapiano until last March, MaltaToday is informed.

Sapiano, a former candidate for the PN in the 2008 general elections, received over €890,000 in legal contracts by successive PN administrations. Answers provided by ministers in Parliament showed Sapiano and his legal firm benefitted from a series of contracts totalling over €890,000.

Over a span of 10 years between 2002 and 2012, Sapiano received €243,010 by the Occupational Health and Safety Authority and over €113,000 by direct order by the Water Services Corporation between 2000 and 2006. Sapiano's firms also received a number of contracts by the Prime Minister's Office and by social services agencies such as Appogg and Sedqa.

However he only managed to garner 58 first count votes and later complained about the spending spree by other Nationalist candidates in their campaigns.