Kurt Farrugia, Paul Zahra let off the hook, because not considered PEPs

Press Release: Received May 23, 2023 from  Arnold Cassola

Kurt Farrugia, Paul Zahra let off the hook, because not considered PEPs

The CEO of Infrastructure Malta, Kurt Farrugia, and the Chairperson of the State Aid Monitoring Board, Paul Zahra, will not be investigated by the Standards Commissioner, Judge Joseph Azzopardi, because they are not considered to be Politically Exposed Persons.

Arnold Cassola stated: “The Commissioner for Standards is doing his job and duty of applying the Standards Commissioner law as concocted by the PL and PN in Parliament. It would seem that according to this law the occupiers of these two high and sensitive posts are not included amongst those posts defined as “Politically Exposed”. In view of this, these two, who tried to sabotage the Vitals Inquiry by refusing to answer any of the queries posed by the NAO Auditor Charles Deguara, will get away scot free. Withholding information and covering up for political crooks, like Joseph Muscat, Keith Schembri and Konrad Mizzi, has become the order of the day… and you can even get away with it, without even a slap on the wrist”.

Arnold Cassola
Independent candidate

Response with PDF document

From: Charles Polidano – Office of the Commissioner for Standards in Public Life
Date: Mon, 22 May 2023 at 12:52
Subject: RE: Request for Investigation: Kurt Farrugia and Paul Zahra To: Arnold Cassola

Professor Cassola,

I am writing in reference to your message dated 15th May 2023 (reproduced below) to the Commissioner for Standards in Public Life.

I hereby inform you of the Commissioner’s decision regarding your complaint.

Yours sincerely,

Charles Polidano

Director General

Original complaint filed Monday, May 15, 2023 with Charles Polidano – Office of the Commissioner for Standards in Public Life

Request for Investigation: Kurt Farrugia and Paul Zahra

Dear Commissioner Azzopardi,

I am writing to you to request the opening of an investigation into the PEP, Kurt Farrugia, who is the CEO of the government agency Malta Enterprise, and the PEP, Mr. Paul Zahra, who is the Chairman of the State Aid Monitoring Board.

These two individuals have attempted to sabotage the NAO’s investigation into the misappropriation of funds exceeding 400 million euros by Vitals and Steward Healthcare, to the detriment of the Maltese people, with the complicity of several politicians, including former Minister Konrad Mizzi.

Instead of fulfilling their duty to provide the Auditor General with any information that could shed light on this colossal fraud, these two individuals have acted with the characteristic omertà attitude that permeates a corrupted mentality infiltrated within the State.

With the utmost arrogance and impunity, they have gone against the interests of the Maltese people by disregarding all the requests of Auditor Charles Deguara, making it more difficult for the Office of the Auditor General to uncover the truth.

In his report, the Auditor General, on page 27, highlights the following:

p.27: 1.4.3: Of concern to the NAO was that Malta Enterprise failed to reply to any of the queries submitted. This Office sought information relating to the lease agreement entered into by Government with the QMUL for the Barts Medical School and an account of the payments received by Malta Enterprise in this respect. Similarly, queries submitted to the SAMB remained unaddressed.

This level of secrecy from state institutions is unacceptable in a state that upholds democratic values of transparency and truth.

Yours faithfully,

Arnold Cassola

Source: Arnold Cassola – Independent Candidate