Repubblika is particularly disgusted with reports that one of the shareholders of Electrogas is allegedly expecting the Maltese people to buy out his shareholding in the company that acquired this contract through corruption.
In the present circumstances, Repubblika reminds everyone that:
1. The government has already allowed the purchase of the shares owned by the principal shareholder in Electrogas as originally set up by the other shareholders, when Gasol went bankrupt. This was greatly detrimental to the Maltese government because instead of this project being wholly financed by private interests, it had to be financed via a #bank guarantee issued by the Maltese government at great risk to the Maltese economy. This was an act of corruption that must not be allowed to happen again.
2. In the case of Vitals, the government has already permitted that a corrupt private entity is rewarded by being allowed to run away with the proceeds of the sale of shares to another entity. At that stage the government was faced with a scenario wherein the new owners would not take responsibility for the excesses and waste of their predecessors.
3. We have not as yet seen the full contract with Electrogas. The official excuse is “commercial confidentiality” but there should be no secrets between the Maltese and those who have robbed them. The full Electrogas contract should be published such that we can understand what the government can do to annul this contract without rewarding Electrogas for having robbed us.
4. We cannot trust the same people who awarded Electrogas a contract which pillaged the national interest, to now negotiate the exit of Electrogas or some of its shareholders. It is true that Konrad Mizzi and Keith Schembri are no longer in government, but those whom they themselves appointed in the relevant ministries, in Enemalta, the Land’s Authority, the Transport Authority and in the Resources Authority are those complicit in this mafia conspiracy who took over our country through corruption. Moreover, the Ministry of Finance still includes those who have already washed their hands of the abusive practices, as shown by testimony in the public inquiry.
Repubblika believes that the government must find the most advantageous way for the Maltese public for the annulling of the contract with Electrogas. We also believe that the government paying Electrogas or any of its shareholders to exit will mean paying off those who have robbed us.
We will certainly not be accepting negotiations for the exit of Electrogas in a manner similar to its entry: “lunches” between its owners and government officials, or secret contracts behind our backs.
Repubblika expects that immediately:
a. the government publishes the full contract with Electrogas including all the documentation that discloses all government obligations, those of all public entities and of the contractor.
b. the government declares that it will not permit any transfer of shares in Electrogas except as part of any agreement with the government that regulates its exit.
c. the government appoints a committee of independent experts to monitor the negotiations for the exit of Electrogas, wherein the public entities mentioned above will have a consultative and not an executive role. The committee should function in an open manner and under the scrutiny of a parliamentary commission, the Auditor General and the public.
The Electrogas contract is an act of injustice with respect to all Maltese and Gozitans. The largest injustice was perpetrated against Daphne Caruana Galizia who the state permitted to be killed in order to protect the profits of the owners of Electrogas.
Justice demands that these owners do not exit this saga without paying for their involvement and without taking responsibility for their acts.