Mizzi says police will be called in if more oil procurement questions are raised

Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi said today that his ministry will call in the police if more oil procurement suspicions surface. Speaking at a press conference, he insisted that Opposition Leader Simon Busuttil should shoulder responsibility for wrongdoing by the former administration in oil procurement. Reacting to a report by the Auditor General about oil procurement practices between 2008 and 2010, the minister said the report was 'very damning and critical' of what had happened. Dr Mizzi noted that the Auditor had said he had not had access to all documents and could not verify all purchases. The ministry, he said, had invited the auditor for a meeting to discuss the findings. If it resulted that more irregularities could have taken place, the ministry would call in the police. Dr Mizzi noted that the report had revealed ministerial interference, with a minister having sent an e-mail on the price at which oil should be purchased. In 2009, he said, there had been hedging losses of $65 million. In 2010 there were further losses of $4 million in view of the 'very amateurish' way how things were done. Dr Mizzi said Enemalta would organise a workshop to ensure that all of the...