Abela calls on PAC to request AG inquiry into prison direct order

Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Abela has sent an official letter to the Chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee to request the Attorney General to investigate the contract concerning the direct order issued for the upgrading of a new IT network at the Correctional Facility in Corradino.

This comes after a parliamentary question tabled by Opposition MP Jason Azzopardi revealed that the Ministry of Home Affairs had issued an €880,000 direct order for the upgrading and installation new IT network at the facility. The upgrade will also be carried out at the centre where teenage inmates are housed.

The minister told journalists yesterday that he has called on PAC Chairman Tonio Fenech to request for an Attorney General’s investigation as he had been informed that he cannot do so himself.

He insisted that he never tried to hide anything, contrary to what was being said by the Opposition, and always provided answers in Parliament.

Pointing towards the Lowenbrau land sale scandal, the minister said that he, “will waste none of [his] time on an individual who has been criticised by the AG, and yes, I am referring to Jason Azzopardi.“

Minister Abela also explained that GO, who at the time was a government-owned company, had been granted the tender to handle IT systems at Corradino correctional facility. This, the minister said, meant that the facility had continued to use GO to maintain and upgrade the server. However GO, which has evolved to cover a number of sectors in the digital industry, was unable to cover the upgrade of the current system, and thusly hired a sub-contractor, Infinite Fusion Technologies.

He went on to say that the ministry requested an upgrade after a report by Martin Scicluna found serious shortcomings in the facility, namely in the IT and CCTV systems.

“It is shocking,” the minister said.

The report, which was submitted to Ministry in June 2015, was conducted by Martin Scicluna as he had previously handled a report on the prison with the previous administration.

“This meant he was the perfect candidate, as he would be able to compare both reports,” he said.