Transport Minister defends decision to award €430,000 in direct orders related to Metro Project

Minister for Transport Aaron Farrugia yesterday defended the decision of issuing over €430,000 in direct orders related to the Malta Metro, saying that the government simply makes decisions according to the situation.

The Malta Independent reported on Tuesday that the Labour Party’s political events stage supplier, The Events Company ( TEC Ltd), was the beneficiary of a total worth of € 434,492.04 in direct orders issued by the Ministry for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects in November 2021, then led by previous Transport Minister Ian Borg.

There was no clear indication as to what the direct orders were awarded for, simply listed as being for the “Malta Metro”.

Asked about this, Farrugia said that the country needed to hold this important event – referring to the press conference event which announced the Malta Metro – and that the “services were needed in a short amount of time.”

Farrugia said that it is a question of timing, as the government issues direct orders when there is an event which needs to happen in a short amount of time.

Asked once again to disclose the task for which the direct orders were awarded for, Farrugia deflected the question, saying that the government makes decisions according to the situation that arises.

TEC Ltd was the beneficiary of 21 separate direct orders, all awarded on 8 November 2021, except for one which was awarded on 4 October 2021. Then Transport Minister Ian Borg had tabled in Parliament documents showing that a total of €76,981.76 was spent on the press conference event.