Opposition to seek continuation of PAC investigation into Electrogas deal

The Opposition will be seeking a continuation of the investigation into the Electrogas deal when the Public Accounts Committee reconvenes.

In a statement, the PN said that during a parliamentary group meeting held on Tuesday, it was deciced that the opposition members of the PAC will be proposing the continuation of the investigation.

The investigation had been stopped because Parliament had risen when an election date had been announced earlier this year.

Darren Carabott has been named as the new chairperson of the PAC, with David Agius and Graham Bencini as PN representatives.

The Labour Party will have more members. The PAC is also the only Parliamentary committee that is chaired by an MP coming from the opposition’s benches.

Until last January, former MP Konrad Mizzi had been giving testimony in the committee. Mizzi, as minister for energy at the time of the deal, had been politically responsible for the Electrigas agreement.

During past PAC sessions, debates had gotten heated between the PN members who sat on the committee last legislature and Mizzi. There would often be lengthy back and forths between them.

In one sitting, Mizzi had even walked out to demand a ruling from the Speaker of the House and when returning, refused to answer questions until that ruling was given.

The Electrogas deal has been one of Malta’s more controversial agreements, and the PN had often targeted the agreement and criticised it. The PAC had begun looking into the deal following a report by the National Audit Office which had found certain shortcomings in the selection process.