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Emails betray George Farrugia’s claims of political estrangement
Email exchanges published by Illum show oil trader George Farrugia’s familiarity with politicians.
15 December 2013, 12:00am
Staff Reporter
Staff Reporter
2 min read
Tony Debono (above) kept oil trader George Farrugia posted.
Despite claiming that he kept at a distance from politics and politicians, oil trader George Farrugia was copied in a series of email exchanges between Tony Debono and Lawrence Gonzi and other leading figures in the previous administration.
A series of email exchanges in possession of Sunday newspaper Illum show that George Farrugia's family business consultant Tony Debono and the former Nationalist administration were in constant contact.
"Seems we are making true in-roads" Debono tells Farrugia in one of the email threads, which also included PN leader Simon Busuttil.
This contrasts with Farrugia's testimony during Wednesday's Public Accounts committee hearing, in which he said that he "avoided" politicians.
Farrugia turned State's evidence after being granted a presidential pardon, when MaltaToday revealed back in January 2013 that one of the companies he represented - Dutch commodities giant Trafigura - was paying an Enemalta consultant a "commission" on the supply of oil to Enemalta. The resulting criminal investigation revealed a network of bribery reaching up right to the top echelons of Enemalta management.
On 9 June 2009, days after the PN's colossal defeat in the European Parliament elections, Debono sent an email to then Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi and his personal assistant Edgar Galea Curmi in which he expressed his readiness to help the party.
"I am very willing to be part of or possibly lead any set-up that may eventually be considered to monitor and trouble-shoot with the various ministries/govt. agencies and other entities pending requests/claims/complaints by the general public," Debono wrote.
Last week, Illum published emails which show shed light on the proximity of Debono with the Farrugia family business at the time that George Farrugia was discovered by his brothers to have been siphoning cash from Powerplan Ltd, on the sale of oil to Enemalta, to his private company Aikon Ltd.
Read more in today's edition of Illum
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We need to know exactly what was Lawerence Gonzi involment in all these deals especially so since his wife was indeed a friend of Farrugia wife. Now the plot thickens and we have a valid reason for the presidential pardon to Farrugia. No wonder why he wants to become president just imagine just how many crminals will be realeased on his appointment.
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Gonzi said , first he didn't know George, then vaguely , then as a guest at a talk in Castille now this email from George to Gonzi with love.
maria aquilina •
quoting Debono: '"I am very willing to be part of or possibly lead any set-up.....' mela ghalhekk dik it-telfa kollossali li dabbar il-PN!!!!!
maria aquilina •
quoting Debono: '"I am very willing to be part of or possibly lead any set-up.....' mela ghalhekk dik it-telfa kollossali li dabbar il-PN!!!!!
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The involvement of Tony Debono, Malta's ambassador to Jordan in this massive oil scandal makes his continued position as untenable under any circumstance. But what is now emerging is the involvement of Simon Busuttil. Why were emails copied to him? And therefore what did he know of the oil scandals prior to Saviour Balzan's incredible revelations? What was his involvement in all this shady business? The people need to know, and fast.
