‘Missing’ Enemalta files moved into wrong archive in February 2013

Enemalta Corporation has confirmed that it has requested a police investigation, and initiated an internal investigation after certain files were found to be missing or misplaced.

Amongst these are the contract of employment for its former chief financial officer, Pippo Pandolfino.

An internal investigation has now conclude that the files were allegedly moved from their original archive at the end of February 2013, into another part of the Marsa power station building.

Following a media report related to this development, some of the missing files were located in an archive in a different building of the Corporation, where such documents are not normally stored.

"The files were allegedly moved from their original archive at the end of February 2013. While police investigations are still underway, the Corporation has also launched an internal investigation to ensure that similar administrative shortcomings are not repeated."

The timing coincides with news revealed by MaltaToday in January 2013 that former Enemalta officials and political appointees had accepted kickbacks from Dutch commodities firm Trafigura, for the supply of oil to Enemalta.

Following the publication of the report of the National Audit Office (NAO)'s audit into Enemalta's oil procurement between 2008 and 2011, the Corporation launched its own internal audit to tackle shortcomings highlighted by the report.

"The scope of Enemalta's internal audit has been widened to also include any related matters arising during the ongoing sittings of the Parliament's Public Accounts Committee discussing the NAO report. This also includes any matters related to information protection. In this regard, once the internal audit is completed, the Corporation's administration will be assessing the findings, and if necessary, request further inquiries," Enemalta said in a statement.

On Thursday, some employee personal files, including those of former officials mentioned in the NAO report, were "unaccounted for", Enemalta said.

Such files, particularly those of top management positions, are normally held in a specific archive at the Marsa Power Station Administration Building.

"Current and former officials who could have been responsible of such files were immediately contacted, but no one was in a position to locate the missing folders. In view of this situation, the Corporation's administration asked the police to look into the matter."