Updated | Ministers should 'never interfere' in selection processes - PN

PN deputy leader Mario de Marco with Kristy Debono

Economy minister Chris Cardona and parliamentary secretary Edward Zammit Lewis must shoulder political responsibility over the interference in the selection process of casino operators, PN deputy leader Mario De Marco said.

Addressing a press conference with opposition MP Kristy Debono, De Marco said that the National Auditor report confirmed the opposition's fears that Cardona and Zammit Lewis interfered in the selection of the legal firm involved in the process and the ranking of bidders.

"The PN believes that no minister should interfere in the selection processes if transparency and good governance are to be upheld," de Marco said.

Without delving into how Cardona and Zammit Lewis should carry political responsibility, de Marco insisted that this should go beyond welcoming the report.

"In the statement issued by government, Cardona completely ignored the report's conclusions that both the minister and the parliamentary secretary were directly involved in the process which created ambiguity," he said.

Cardona and Zammit Lewis came under fire earlier this week from the National Audit Office (NAO), who chastised them for re-ranking legal firms, which bid for a contract to provide legal services for the granting of concessions for the operation of casinos. Moreover, the report highlighted a number of shortcomings such as the failure by the ministry to provide clear guidelines in the abscence of qulaitative criteria, the ministry's failure to inform the Privitiastion Unit why it re-ranked the bidders and the abscence of a signed report by the selection board.

A report by the NAO said, "this re-ranking detracted from the process's overall level of transparency."

"In all democracies, the government's powers are clearly outlined and if any government goes beyond these determined lines, it would not only breach the rules but it will also do a disservice to the people," de Marco said.

The PN deputy leader added that the NAO's main conclusions highlighted key errors carried out by Cardona and Zammit Lewis, namely the interference in the selection of the legal firm, the removal of experience as one of the necessary criteria and the re-ranking of the firms following the selection board's original decision.

While stressing that he was not "attributing bad motives," to the minister and the parliamentary secretary, de Marco insisted that the least Cardona and Zammit Lewis could do is to "ensure that future selection processes are transparent."

In a reaction, Chris Cardona said that he recognised the shortcomings outlined in the NAO report but pointed out the Auditor's positive comments on the ministry's commitment to improve good governance in the tendering process.

"The ministry's intention was to change the system adopted by the Nationalist government on contracts which tended to be awarded to the same beneficiaries, sometimes just through a mere telephone call," Cardona said.

"For years the NAO reported on various shortcomings in ministries under the Nationalist administration. This governments respects this constitutionally-constituted office and is working on the NAO's recommendations."

Jurgen Balzan was a MaltaToday reported from 2011 to 2017.

More from Jurgen Balzan

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Demarco proposition is 27 years late Non ministers interferance in government tenders should been the rulke since 1946. Since 1988 interferance was routine, 2000 / 2013 it became a priority and myself managed few contracts

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@Bones: it could be fair and reasonable when you are speaking from the Opposition but the worse atrocities as far as interference in selection processes have just been round the corner happening under the very nose of the PN Deputy Leader. May I ask where was he living just 1 year ago?

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PN is wasting its time on matters of very little substance. The people of Malta expect a more mature Opposition. So far we have not heard from them an iota of sense.

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Damu 25 sena jindahlu l-minisitri nazzjonalisti bid-direct orders specjalment permes tat-telefones bhal fil-kaz tar-ragel ta Daphne Caruana Galizia! Issa hi ninsew lil dawk li QATT ma hadu xejn; min iffanga izomm li rekken u l-ohrajn jittewbu! Meritocracy a la SimonPN?

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Hekk suppost imma ma kontux tghamlu hekk, Issa vergni aktar mill vergni qaddisin.

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.....Ministers should 'never interfere' in selection processes - PN.... PN should bear in mind that its very easy to criticize others, but you should have said this for the last 25 years. Everything that the PL is trying to do is wrong, and I am sure your attitude will remain the same for the thousand years because you will never change. All ministers used to interfere in everything, and I mean everything, even where to place a toilet. For 25 years I had to stick to this. Ex Civil Servant.

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Yes Bones, you are quite correct. BUT, having that statement coming from the PN (true, it came from Mario Demarco who would have had to spout it for the Party's sake), I would take it will a heavy dose of sea salt. Not only, but I would add to your adjectives "hypocrite". One must allow for a learning curve with all freshly appointed office holders and this happened many months back.

Igor P. Shuvalov •

" Ministers should 'never interfere' in selection processes - PN." Does this apply solely to selection processes being taken as from the 13th March 2013?

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Very reasonable and fair statement.

Updated | Ministers should 'never interfere' in selection processes - PN

Deputy PN leader Mario De Marco calls on economy minister and parliamentary secretary to shoulder responsibility over interference in tendering process.