‘I have nothing to hide’
Turkish contractor Ayhanlar, who won the project, had promised Fenech a €2 million success fee in exchange for using his contacts to help the failing company secure the Marsa tender.
Police have been aware of potential corruption in the project since the seizure of Fenech’s mobile phone in November 2019, when he was arrested and charged in connection with journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia’s assassination.
Sources familiar with the police ‘file’ opened on the case four years ago say investigators did very little to move it forward, despite suspicions that Fenech’s political connections could have been used to ensure Ayhanlar won the contract.
EPPO’s investigation has registered similarly slow progress, with one source suggesting that the recent focus on Azzopardi would likely amount to little more than a box-ticking exercise, as a sweep of his bank accounts was unlikely to reveal anything.
When contacted, Azzopardi vehemently denied wrongdoing, saying he was not even involved in the selection process for the project.
The former Infrastructure Malta boss was a close aide to Foreign Minister Ian Borg, who served as Infrastructure Minister during the Marsa project.
A January 2019 e-mail about the project hinted at potential foul play about the way the tender was awarded.
Sources said that EPPO had only recently retrieved certain e-mail exchanges between Fenech and Turkish billionaire Robert Yildirim.
Yildirim was brought in to complete the project, after the original bidder Ayhanlar crashed out of the tender due to financial difficulties.
After Fenech threatened legal action over the failure to pay the €2 million success fee, Yildirim hit back with a threat of his own.
“We can be in the front pages of newspapers in Malta. Apparently you might like it. What will you tell the court? Bribing someone but no payment. We didn’t say we don’t pay you. We need to renegotiate all terms and conditions. That’s all! It’s up to you!”, Yildirim said in response to Fenech’s threat.
Yildirim
Azzopardi told Times of Malta when contacted that to date, he has not been informed of any ongoing investigation or other similar actions about them.
“I also confirm that I have never been questioned about them by any authority or other entity.
“However, if any such investigations are under way, I welcome them, and I am available to provide all necessary information, documentation and assistance in any such inquiries, as I have always done in the past. I have nothing to hide,” Azzopardi said.
He also denied claims that he ever discussed payments for the project with Fenech.
Activist Arnold Cassola has published WhatsApp messages in which Fenech asked: “x’tixtieq minn dik?” (what would you like from that?) to which Azzopardi replies “circa 45% of 11m”.
Azzopardi said the conversation was not even related to the Marsa Junction Project or to any payment, but to the appropriate verification of a technical reference for a completely different project. and
Fenech deny wrongdoing.
“The conversation quoted out of context has nothing to do with any irregularity,” said Azzopardi, who headed several entities under a Labour government.