Comments on: UPDATE: Aiken Services Ltd and the government/Labour Party campaign billboards

By: Gaetan Pace

Gaetan Pace — Tue, 20 May 2014 05:40:49 +0000

Daphne the least said the better ,YOU ARE SUPER. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK. MOST OF ALL THANKS. IT IS APPRECIATED THAT IN THE COURSE OF YOUR REPORTING YOU ARE INCURRING EXPENSES, ALL IS APPRECIATED. DO KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK.

By: Caroline

Caroline — Mon, 19 May 2014 21:19:08 +0000

In reply to Clueless. It is the Office of the Prime Minister's duty, not Kenneth Abela's duty. He is not required to disclose that information.

By: J Farrugia

J Farrugia — Mon, 19 May 2014 20:46:23 +0000

Well done for this!

By: curious

curious — Mon, 19 May 2014 19:39:33 +0000

Well done and thank you for a job well done, Daphne.

However, I would like to ask with whom did the Labour Party deal with before the elections since Aiken did not exist. Was it Kenneth Abela or the Debono brothers?

We have come to a point where we are always suspicious of those with whom the Labour Party deals with. So forgive me if I get the impression that Aiken were prepared for any questions coming their way.

By: P Shaw

P Shaw — Mon, 19 May 2014 19:07:58 +0000

In reply to Manuel. It’s called sloppiness, and that does not apply to Ivan Camilleri only but to most journalists in Malta. They are used to deliberate leaks, propaganda, and prepared transcripts. Any additional effort is deemed to be a burden. In some cases it might even go against the agenda of the newspaper.

By: Mr Mistoffeles

Mr Mistoffeles — Mon, 19 May 2014 18:17:38 +0000

One thing really puzzles me about all this – there is little distinction made to the PL as a political party and the PL in Government here…..it seems that renting to the PL for this company is done irrepsectivel of whether it is as a government or political party! Well if it is as government, can we see the tenders that were published for these billboards and the process for their selection and over what time frame and at what price? As a party, well, that is another story…let us concentrate on the public funds used to disseminate propaganda to us as minions!

By: A+

A+ — Mon, 19 May 2014 17:30:00 +0000

The question is, where is the MLP getting all this money from? and Franco Debono goes on about party funding. How hypocritical.

By: Clueless

Clueless — Mon, 19 May 2014 17:02:04 +0000

It’s a bit strange that Kenneth Abela doesn’t want the price the Government pays for billboards to be made public considering that it is the contracting authority’s (read OPM’s in this case) duty to publish a Schedule of Quotations as soon as the offers are opened (a process which should be done publicly).

Moreover, OPM (as well as other public entities) is obliged in terms of the Procurement Regulations to publish details of all direct orders, quotations and tenders awarded every six months in the Government Gazette.

I would add that such an obligation should be extended to EOIs although the regulations are clear about the fact that contracts cannot be awarded on the basis of EOIs despite what the current government has been doing over the past 14 months.

By: Manuel

Manuel — Mon, 19 May 2014 16:59:19 +0000

Great journalistic work, Daphne. Excellent.

I wonder why Ivan Camilleri had not thought of going right at the source.