News | Sunday, 08 March 2009

PRINT THIS ARTICLE

Minister finds no problem with conflict of interest

David Darmanin
Infrastructure, transport and communications Minister Austin Gatt said he finds no problem with Joe Fenech Conti being both Managing Director of Datatrak Ltd - the company in charge of processing all speed camera fines, and serving as chairman of a Malta Transport Authority (ADT) board which oversees the building and maintenance of roads.
Confronted on TVM programme Dissett on this issue, Fenech Conti said he had spoken to the Minister about this and was assured there were no problems.
In his replies to our questions, the minister said that “a conflict of interest in and of itself does not preclude someone from serving office”, as long as that conflict is “clearly declared and that the person having that conflict does not allow interests outside the public office he is appointed to function in the interests of that office.”
Gatt also explained that chairmen, directors and CEOs of entities in his portfolio have been given explicit guidelines on how to manage conflicts of interest.
“I am not informed that Joe Fenech Conti is in any way in breach of those guidelines,” he said.
Gatt also pointed out that the board Fenech Conti is chairman of “is not the body that procures, selects or even proposes the location of speed cameras.”

ddarmanin@mediatoday.com.mt

Any comments?
If you wish your comments to be published in our Letters pages please click button below.
Please write a contact number and a postal address where you may be contacted.