Watch: ‘Of Course’ – Konrad Mizzi Convinced He’ll Win 17 Black Case
Former minister Konrad Mizzi told Lovin Malta that he’s convinced he’ll win the 17 Black case moments after being charged with money laundering and corruption.
Mizzi defended the Electrogas project to Lovin Malta’s @timdiacono while exiting the law courts where he was slapped with a litany of charges and a freezing order on his assets.
Mizzi maintained that thanks to this project, the people of Malta and Gozo are paying lower electricity bills, even saying that it was a model for other countries.
“It was a 2012 vision, not a 2075 one. Nowadays we need different visions but it was good for those times,” he said.
Mizzi couldn’t comment on the court hearing due to the magistrate’s decree but did say that this case will be an “opportunity to close these speculations once and for all”.
When asked whether there was corruption within the power station, Mizzi declined to comment and referred to past statements, saying his position remains the same. In these past statements he denied there being corruption.
Finally, when asked whether he’s convinced that he’ll win the court case, he succinctly replied, “Of course”.
Mizzi is one of six people facing charges after an inquiry into 17 Black was concluded last month.
Former OPM chief of staff Keith Schembri, business magnate Yorgen Fenech, OEGP Ltd Managing Director Mario Pullicino, former Electrogas Director Paul Apap Bologna, former partner Nexia BT Karl Cini and former Nexia BT owner Brian Tonna were all arraigned this morning.
They’ve all been charged with money laundering, corruption, trading in influence, criminal association. While Mizzi was also charged with perjury. They’ve all pleaded not guilty and have had their assets frozen by the duty magistrate.
The inquiry was requested by former PN leader Simon Busuttil and PN MEP David Casa after it was revealed that €1.3 million had been transferred into 17 Black. These funds originated rom Azerbaijan and a company associated with the LNG tanker acting as a floating storage unit at Delimara.
According to information revealed in the Panama Papers leak, companies held by Schembri and Mizzi were to receive a monthly sum of €150,000 from 17 Black.
It was later revealed that 17 Black was owned by Fenech who was a shareholder of the Electrogas consortium that won a multi-million-euro gas power station tender. Fenech was recently granted bail over the murder of Journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.
What are your projections for the outcome of this case?
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