News | Sunday, 12 July 2009

PRINT THIS ARTICLE

Email blunder – govt official: ‘does MaltaToday have the right to info?’

Finance ministry refuses to disclose Maltese partners of Delimara bidders

Matthew Vella
A finance ministry spokesperson quizzed his superior on whether MaltaToday was entitled to know who the Maltese partners of the three bidders for the Delimara power station extension were.
Just weeks ago, this newspaper was refused basic information on the local partners of BWSC, Ido Hutney/Bateman, and Man Diesel, who tendered for Enemalta’s €200 million extension. The finance ministry spokesperson claimed the Malta sub-contractors were protected by confidentiality clauses.
The Delimara contract has attracted controversy over claims by rival bidder Bateman, which has filed a judicial protest against the award to Danish firm BWSC. Bateman says its offer was cheaper and more environmentally-friendly than BWSC’s.
And the admission by Enemalta chairman Alex Tranter of his “possible conflict of interest” – given that he is a business partner of a BWSC sub-contractor, Vassallo Builders Group – has fuelled interest into who are all the local partners and agents of the three foreign bidders.
It is standard practice to know which local companies are partnered when foreign multinationals bid for public tenders.
But the finance ministry was of the opinion that confidentiality rules guarded this information, referring this newspaper to the Public Contracts Regulations. The rules protect technical details from being disclosed during tendering.
So MaltaToday demanded an explanation as to why such details, for a public tender that has already been awarded, were not being disclosed.
But this week, the spokesperson erroneously emailed MaltaToday asking: “Good morning. Can you see this email pls – is he correct in his part that he has the right to ask for such info?”
Hours later, the sheepish disclaimer popped into the mailbox: “This was of course not intended for you, but of course I was/am checking whether this is confidential info or not.”
Not as confident as their first refusal. But it’s good to know the finance ministry double-checks every time it refuses public information.

mvella@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.

All the interviews from Reporter on MaltaToday's YouTube channel.

EDITORIAL

INTERVIEW