Fresh evidence on inferior concrete quality reaches government

The Energy Ministry has re-constituted the board of inquiry investigating the use of inferior concrete at Mater Dei Hospital after the government received fresh evidence.

It is understood that the government received documentary evidence.

In a brief statement, the Energy Ministry said that the board, chaired by judge emeritus Philip Sciberras, has been asked to report on the new evidence.

“New evidence has been brought to the Government’s attention regarding the issue of inferior quality concrete at the A&E department of Mater Dei Hospital. The Ministry for Energy and Health has re-constituted the Board of Inquiry, chaired by Mr Justice Emeritus Philip Sciberras to report on the said new evidence,” it said.

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In a statement, the Opposition said the new evidence should be passed on immediately to the police.

Sounding somewhat skeptical of the new information, the PN said it “has noted that the Energy Minister has once again asked former Labour MP Philip Sciberras to investigate the so-called new evidence”.

The PN said that since the board of inquiry had concluded its work, the evidence should be sent to the police. It pointed out that Sciberras had been assisted by his son, Msida deputy mayor Alex Sciberras.

“The government should stop wasting any more time and coming up with smokescreens to defend the guilty and attack the innocent. In a week full of scandals, the government is once again seeing how to divert attention,” the PN said.

“Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and Minister Konrad Mizzi should take immediate action against those who committed fraud.”

Earlier today, former health minister Louis Galea denied having been aware of the alleged fraudulent concrete being supplied on site of the Mater Dei Hospital back in 1996, when he was responsible for the Foundation for Medical Services.

The damning inquiry revealed that Galea had received a letter pointing towards a number of deficiencies but no action was taken.

But Galea, who was health minister up to October 1996 during the first phase of construction of the hospital, stated that neither the FMSS, nor the government were aware of the alleged fraud.

“Government, the FMSS board and myself acted diligently and as reasonably and objectively as possible to ensure that an adequate control framework was in place and implemented; no collusion at all ever existed by myself, or to my knowledge by the members of the FMSS board at the time I was involved, in any improper or illegal act as the report attempts to imply in conclusion 5 of its report.”