Firm won oil tender without bidding

The company at the heart of the oil purchase scandal, Trafigura, was awarded its first procurement tender in 2004 even though it was not among the 16 bidders, a court heard yesterday. This emerged when Assistant Police Commissioner Michael Cassar was testifying in the case against Frank Sammut, the one-time adviser of former Enemalta chairman Tancred Tabone. Both men, in separate proceedings, stand charged with fraud, corruption and money laundering. Mr Cassar said that despite there being no documentation that Mr Sammut formed part of the oil procurement committee, minutes of its meetings proved otherwise. The minutes also indicated that Trafigura was first awarded a contract on December 18, 2004, and it was interesting to note that the company was not one of the 16 bidders for that tender. Mr Sammut was paid 75 US cents per metric tonne of oil on that tender, the money being paid into a specially-created Swiss bank account. In 2003, Enemalta used to buy oil from the National Oil Company until Malta joined the European Union and the quality of the oil had to be upgraded. Tenders therefore had to be issued. Enemalta’s board of directors had approved Mr Sammut as a consultant to Mr...