Following the NAO report on ITS fraud: what is the Police Commissioner waiting for?

More than enough time has passed since the National Audit Office (NAO) report on the fraudulent contract awarded to Rosianne Cutajar, for the Commissioner of Police, Angelo Gafà to take action against ITS CEO Pierre Fenech, former Minister, Konrad Mizzi, and also MP Rosianne Cutajar. Fraud of public funds is, however, apparently not a priority. This was stated by ADPD – The Green Party spokespersons Sandra Gauci and Ralph Cassar during a press conference in front of the Police Headquarters in Floriana on Saturday. The investigation of the NAO was requested on behalf of the party by Carmel Cacopardo.

ADPD Secretary General Dr Ralph Cassar said that not only were no steps taken, but MPs, ministers and the Prime Minister are putting up a weak and pathetic defence of those involved in fraud. Following the Prime Minister’s defence, Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo chimed in defending Rosianne Cutajar. Clayton Bartolo also defended the unacceptable behaviour of ITS CEO Pierre Fenech who had the temerity to hide the contract even from the ITS Board of Governors. Joining Abela and Bartolo, in his usual tribal and partisan rhetoric, Rosianne Cutajar also found Government Whip Andy Ellul defending her. Ellul is suggesting that government itself, of which he forms part, allows MPs of whatever stripe, to skive work in their public sector jobs. Andy Ellul suggests that it is acceptable for fake jobs to be dished out to the likes of Rosianne Cutajar, because ‘others’ also don’t show up for work. It seems that Andy Ellul is not bothered by Pierre Fenech and Konrad Mizzi’s abuse of power. What’s more, it’s pertinent to also point out that to date former Minister and ‘star candidate’ Konrad Mizzi, is still not facing justice for his part in the €5000 daily Electrogas kickbacks. Empty vessels like Andy Ellul make a lot of sound, to divert attention from serious cases of fraud, bad governance and corruption.

The fact remains that Pierre Fenech has no idea what good governance looks like. Those who are unable to refuse illegitimate “orders by their superiors” to commit fraud should be kicked out of their leadership roles both at ITS and MCC. His appointment as CEO of two entities also raises many questions. Moreover, Pierre Fenech is certainly unsuitable to run an educational institution. What example is he is giving to students? That it’s ok to facilitate fraud? That rules are not important? That greed and pigging out is ok?

ADPD – The Green Party Chairperson Sandra Gauci said: Labour and PN are engaged in their usual tit-for-tat. We do not really care about their manoeuvres and political games, what we insist on is that MPs should be fulltimers to limit conflicts of interest and these kinds of fanthom jobs and appointments. What we have today is the unacceptable spectacle of shameless appointments of parliamentarians on boards, consultancies and jobs with the government. This is a failed nepotistic system, it’s bad governance and opens the door to abuse of power and conflicts of interest. It is not an MP’s job to sit on boards, to run government agencies, or to be a consultant to government – this is a travesty of parliamentary democracy.

The case of fraud at ITS is symptomatic of a system which enables abuse of power. We will continue to insist that Commissioner Angelo Gafà gets his act together, and takes action against the criminals in suits who seem to be somehow protected because they are close to power. If you compare this case of Rosianne Cutajar’s phantom job with that given Melvin Theuma, there are various similarities. Even in Melvin Theuma’s case, the Commissioner took a long time to take action.

How long will the Commissioner take to take action against Pierre Fenech, Rosianne Cutajar and Konrad Mizzi? So far nothing has happened, with government doing its utmost to diflect attention from this case, hoping that all will be forgotten. They are trying to normalise criminal behaviour because as long as that behaviour favours their insiders, it doesn’t really matter. This culture of impunity which has been going on for years, and as pointed out in the inquiry report following the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia, has become something which is accepted. It is somehow accepted that the law does not apply to certain people.

We insist that Pierre Fenech be removed from his dual-positions as CEO of ITS and MCC and immediately investigated for fraud. Former Minister Konrad Mizzi, on whose orders Fenech acted should also be investigated. Is Konrad Mizzi beyond the reach of the law? Is this the type of person, the ‘star’, that Labour boasted so much about?

Cutajar herself knew that she was pigging out, she boasted that she’ll join the ‘pigging out’ bandwagon in chats with Yorgen Fenech. What pressure did Cutajar put on Mizzi and Fenech to be awarded a fraudulent contract and a phantom job? We want criminal action against all those involved in this clear case of fraud. We cannot allow this case of squandering of public money to be forgotten because of the procrastination of a Police Commissioner. It is simply unbelievable that even with a detailed public report by the Auditor General, the Police Commissioner still refuses to take action. Does he expect us to do the job that he has the power to do?

Show support for our request for criminal action against fraud here: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/gafa-hu-azzjoni/

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Wara r-rapport tal-NAO dwar il-frodi tal-ITS: fejn huma l-passi kriminali?

Diġà għadda biżżejjed żmien mir-rapport tal-Uffiċċju Nazzjonali tal-Verifika (NAO), investigazzjoni li kien talab Carmel Cacopardo f’isem ADPD, fuq ix-xogħol fantażma ta’ Rosianne Cutajar, biex il-Kummissarju tal-Pulizija, Angelo Gafà jieħu  azzjoni fil-konfront tas-CEO tal-ITS Pierre Fenech, l-ex-Ministru, Konrad Mizzi, u anke l-Membru Parlamentari Rosianne Cutajar, li tħallset għal xejn għal xogħol li m’għandhiex kompetenza fih. Il-frodi ta’ flejjes pubbliċi mid-dehra mhux prijorità. Dan qaluh il-kelliema ta’ ADPD – The Green Party Sandra Gauci u Ralph Cassar waqt konferenza stampa quddiem il-kwartieri tal-Pulizija l-Floriana s-Sibt.

Is-Segretarju Ġenerali ta’ ADPD Dr Ralph Cassar qal li mhux talli ma ttieħdux passi, talli membri parlamentari, ministri u l-Prim Ministru għalihom qisu xejn m’hu xejn.  Flimkien mal-l-Prim Ministru, ħareġ jiddefendi lil Rosianne Cutajar, l-Ministru tat-Turiżmu Clayton Bartolo. Clayton Bartolo iddefenda wkoll l-aġir inaċċettabbli tas-CEO tal-ITS Pierre Fenech li  ħeba l-kuntratt saħansitra mill-Bord tal-Gvernaturi tal-ITS. Rosianne Cutajar sabet ukoll lill-Whip tal-Gvern Andy Ellul jiddefendiha. Bis-soltu tribaliżmu u partiġġjaniżmu skadut tiegħu Ellul qed jagħti x’jifhem li l-gvern stess li hu jagħmel parti minnu iħalli membri parlamentari jiskartaw minn xogħolhom mas-settur pubbliku.Andy Ellul qed jgħidilna li l-gvern jagħlaq għajnejh għal dawn l-affarijiet u għaldaqstant ħaddieħor għand jagħlaq għajnejh għall-impjieg fantażma  ta’ Rosianne Cutajar, u l-abbuż ta’poter minn Pierre Fenech u Konrad Mizzi biex dan seħħ. Il-Ministru u l-kandidat ‘stilla’ Konrad Mizzi, li diġà involut fit-tanġenti ta’ €5000 kuljum mill-Electrogas, għadu mhux qed jiffaċċja l-ġustizzja: għax għalihom xejn m’hu xejn.  

Pierre Fenech m’għandux idea  xi tkun governanza tajba. Min mhux kapaċi jirrifjuta “ordni mis-superjuri tiegħu” biex iwettaq frodi m’għandux imexxi la l-ITS u lanqas l-MCC. Anke l-ħatra tiegħu ta’ CEO ta’ żewġ entitajiet tqajjem ħafna mistoqsijiet. Barra minn hekk żgur mhux idoneju li jmexxi istituzzjoni edukattiva. X’inhu l-messaġġ li qed jagħti lill-istudenti? Israq? Ħawwad? Tħanżer?

Iċ-Chairperson ta’ ADPD – The Green Party Sandra Gauci qalet: Aħna ma jinteressaniex mill-manuvri u l-logħob tal-PLPN – anzi nisħqu li l-membri parlamentari għandhom ikunu fulltimers biex naqtgħu dal-manuvri u logħob. Minflok għandna teatrin sħiħ ta’ membri parlamentari fuq bordijiet, konsulenzi u impjiegi mal-gvern. Din hija sistema mnawwra, governanza ħażina u tiftaħ il-bibien beraħ għall-abbuż ta’ poter u kunflitti ta’ interess li bħalissa qed ngħumu fihom.

Il-każ tal-frodi fl-ITS huwa sintomatiku tal-abbuż tal-poter. Għalhekk se nibqgħu ninsistu li, li l-Kummissarju Angelo Gafà jieqaf jagħmilha  ta’ paraventu tal-kriminali bil-ġlekk u l-ingravata, u jieqaf jinjora illegalitajiet li qed jitwettqu min-nies fil-poter jew qrib tiegħu. Qiegħed jagħzel b’ mod malizzjuż fuq min jieħu azzjoni u fuq min le. Jekk tqabbel dan il-każ ta xogħol fantażma ma dak ix-xogħol fantażma li ngħata Melvin Theuma is-similaritajiet huma hemm. Fil-każ ta’ Melvin Theuma l-Kummissarju dam biex ħa passi.

Fil-każ ta’ Pierre Fenech, Rosianne Cutajar, Konrad Mizzi u l-ITS kemm se jdum? S’issa qisu ma ġara xejn u qiegħed isir minn kollox biex il-ħaġa tintesa malajr kemm jista’ jkun u kulħadd ikompli b’ ħajtu qisu qatt ma ġara xejn. Qisu qatt ma saret l-investigazzjoni tal-NAO. Qed jipprovaw jinnormalizzaw aġir kriminali għax sakemm dak l-aġir tagħmlu waħda minn tal-klikka, għalihom m’hemm xejn ħazin. Din il-kultura ta’ impunità li ilha għaddejja is-snin, u li anke ssemmiet fir-rapport li sar mill-inkjesta wara l-assassinju ta’ Daphne Caruana Galizia, saret xi ħaġa aċċettata. Qed jiġi aċċettat li l-liġi ma tgħoddx għal ċertu nies. Il-frażi ‘il-gvern tagħna u nagħmlu li rridu’ hija realtà.

Nitolbu li b’mod espedit Pierre Fenech jitneħħa minn CEO tal-ITS u tal-MCC u jiġi investigat minnufih għal frodi. Għandu jkun investigat ukoll l-ex-Ministru Konrad Mizzi li ordnalu biex jagħmel dan il-kuntratt fażull ma’ Cutajar. Dan Konrad Mizzi ħadd ma jista’ għalih? Dan huwa t-tip ta’ persuna li ftaħru tant bih il-Labour?

Cutajar stess kienet taf li qed titħanżer anzi ftaħret li riedet titħanżer hi ukoll. Inkixfet miċ-chats ma Yorgen Fenech. Xi pressjoni għamlet Cutajar biex tingħata kuntratt fażull? Irridu li kull min kien imdeffes f’dan il-kuntratt fażull ta’ xogħol fantażma jittieħdu passi kriminali kontrihom. Ma nistgħux inħallu li anke dan il-każ ta tberbiq ta’ flus pubbliċi jindera u jintesa u jmur mal-ħafna oħrajn sforz it-tnikkir ta’ Kumissarju li anke hu donnu sar fantażma. Inkredibbli kif lill-Kummissarju tal-Pulizija, anke meta għandek rapport tal-Awditur Ġenerali mimli dettalji ppubblikati, irridu noqgħodu niġru warajh biex jittieħdu passi. Tgħid iridna nagħmlulu xogħolu? Xogħol li hu għandu l-poter tal-liġi li jagħmel.

Uri appoġġ għat-talbiet tagħna hawn: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/gafa-hu-azzjoni/

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