Tarcisio Mifsud, Labour Party activist and brother of former Super One chief, arraigned this morning on corruption charges re Enemalta

Published: February 26, 2013 at 1:40pm

tarcisio mifsud

Tarcisio Mifsud is not just the brother of former Super One chief and current Labour guru, Alfred Mifsud. He is himself very heavily involved with the Labour Party, to the extent that he has spoken widely on the pro-Labour circuit about the power station and Enemalta debt issues.

His involvement with Enemalta began in the Golden Years of Mintoff. He joined the state corporation in 1974, and was made financial controller in 1984, a position he held for long years until he came to think of Enemalta as his fiefdom.

When Sant became prime minister in 1996, he was adviser on oil to the Labour government, from 1996 to 1998.

During Joseph Muscat’s Labour Congress last September at Ta’ Qali, Tarcisio Mifsud was invited to speak about oil and Enemalta and power stations and the like.

About 12 years ago, he answered the door to a couple of men at night and they beat him up with chains.

It was a very mysterious case because nobody is his right mind opens the door to strangers at night, so the conclusion was that he knew them, they had a bit of a discussion, and then they went for him with those chains.

Mifsud asked for compensation from the (Nationalist) government, claiming that he was beaten up in the line of his duties for Enemalta and that it was a political assault because he is a known Labour Party activist.

Compensation was refused because there was no indication that it was either a political attack or connected to his duties at Enemalta.

Tarcisio Mifsud went mad against Austin Gatt (the minister responsible for Enemalta at the time) and went to the Ombudsman. There was a bit of a hoo-ha in the press, but apparently The Times doesn’t have access to its own archives or is asleep at the wheel. There is no other explanation why I was able to download the reports on Tarcisio Mifsud’s beating before they did.

But after his investigation and arraignment on corruption charges – kickbacks involved in purchasing, we gather – we can see that chain-beating incident in a fresh light. It is more likely to have been some corrupt and criminal arrangement gone sour, with the thugs sent in to do their business after somebody failed to get his cut.

The other man who was arraigned this morning on the same charges, Alfred Mallia, was Labour mayor of Hal Qormi in the days when Labour called its candidate ‘Indipendenti’. He was PETROLEUM DIVISION MANAGER at Enemalta, having started there in the Mintoff years like Mifsud.

What a shame that we will never now find out whether they were creaming it off royally at Enemalta in the Golden Years of Labour, when there were no controls at all and when corruption and bribery were literally institutionalised.

How disgusting. Well, this whole oil scandal thing has certainly boomeranged for Labour, hasn’t it. The only politicians and party activists which it has dredged up are Labour.

It is becoming clearer every day why the Labour Party was against allowing George Farrugia to turn state’s evidence, and has tried to undermine the pardon since day one.

And no wonder several key Labour politicians and their communications coconut have been looking green and nervous and shrunken over the last few days. You’d think they’d be glowing and happy with all those polls telling them victory is a dead certainty. But they must have been waiting for this stuff to start coming out.

Well, what can I say? Oh, I know: shame on you.




35 Comments Comment

  1. David Gatt says:

    Totally unrelated to this post:

    What do you make of Beppe Grillo’s astonishing success at the polls? Is it possible that something similar occurs in two weeks time? Disillusion with local politicians is at an all time high so I feel that the time is ripe for a major major shock. I’m not referring to the crazy “Ajkla” guy but to AD’s Michael Briguglio (tenth district)

    • Qeghdin Sew says:

      At most Briguglio gets elected on the tenth district and wins a seat. Big deal.

      The victor of the two major parties in Malta can take that hit and even if we end up with a hung parliament, a coalition with the Greens is nowhere near as radical as the possibility of Berlusconi and Bersani forming a coalition in the significantly fragmented Italian democracy.

    • maryanne says:

      It is easy to criticise and protest. Let us see Beppe Grillo and his unknown candidates discussing finance and economics on a European level.

    • stereo says:

      Malta’s equivalent to Italy’s Beppe Grillo is not AD’s Michael Briguglio but PL’s Joseph Muscat. Both of them:
      – want to appeal to the younger generations
      – refer to their party as a ‘movement’ which accepts everyone
      – have campaigns which are focused on the Great Leader
      – claim they want to change the way politics is done
      – have no idea of what to do once they’re elected

      So no, I don’t think we’re in for any surprises. The only ones who’ll be surprised will be those who are voting for Muscat thinking he’s Malta’s new saviour.

    • LE to LEjber says:

      Referring to Mr Nazzareno Bonnici as “crazy” is a total to disrespect to vulnerable persons. You are simply mocking him.

    • tinnat says:

      More than Beppe´s Grillo success being astonishing news, it´s Berlusconi´s success which is unbelievable. That country is crazy, just like this one.

    • observer says:

      On the bus back home this morning, I could not but overhear an Italian lady chatting quite loudly on her mobile about the elections in her homeland.

      “Siamo diventati una nazione di ignoranti votando per Berlusconi e Beppe Grillo!”

      I was very strongly tempted to turn to her with “ben detto, cara signora!”

      Not that I hate comedians of sorts, of course.
      But never when they play politicians!

  2. LE to LEjber says:

    It seems that dear Cisju was quite busy dealing kickbacks whilst filing judicial protests in court as Secretary of the Kazin Banda San Filep. Meanwhile, going back to his arraignment earlier today, perhaps he should carry with him a copy of his MBA dissertation… it might help!

  3. It seems that the press didn’t dig deep into Joseph Muscat’s meeting with INTO University Partnerships yesterday. They are far from what the PL are proposing them to be. They buy university administrations and real estate to attract foreign students to the detriment of universities.

    When I was studying the UK, us students were highly against this company trying to take over our university’s assets and thankfully, the university declined their offers.

    As for some reason Maltase Journalists are too busy to dig deeper I decided to write a hefty post on what Joseph Muscat forgot to mention yesterday.

    [Note to Daphne: if you deem my argument to be valid, I would appreciate if you were to write a post / copy my post as a guest post as you deem necessary. It’s very important for students to understand this]

    http://hibernatingfrommalta.blogspot.com/2013/02/labours-plan-to-part-privatise-uom-and.html

  4. Conservative says:

    Half the Island will say that this is absolutely appalling and repellent and whilst this was going on under a PN government’s watch (as well as MLP governments, I’m sure), it’s telling that all those involved so far are Labour, pro-Labour or recently Born Again Labour.

    Half the Island will say – “miskin Tarcis – dak mhux ghall-familja u ghat-tfal, sabu ma min jabdu ghax Labour, issa meta nkunu fil-Gvern naraw x’gara veru”.

    And that’s why there will never be change. Half the Island has some ideals and morals, half don’t, ghax Mintoff ghamilhom nies u Mintoff tana d-dar, u Mintoff tana l-allawins, u kieku tallaba fit-triq ghadna.

    And given that around 70% of Maltese are barely semi-literate, and 30% are what we would call “normal people” in Europe, then at the slightest inkling that one has been “wronged”, we’ll all fall back into the throes of socialist thuggery (aka Labour government).

    “Wronged”? What does that mean?

    That means that simply because your party is in government you weren’t given a job or a position or a contract that was beyond your ability and capability. So you “pay them back” and vote in the barbarians.

    When I was young and at school, at the right kind of school, they used to say “dak Nazzjonalist ghax missieru surmast”. Yes, if your parents are really well educated and have intellectual ability, there is no reason to be Labour, unless there’s something in it for you and you have no morals and ideals for a better future.

    “Jew b’xejn jew xejn”. So much against the whole Christian culture that has built modern Europe – St Paul says “the worker has a right to his remuneration” and “if you do not work you have no right to eat”. That is the Christian Democrat ethos.

    Imma dawk le, dawk jew b’xejn jew xejn. U tini l-allawins, u tini dar tal-gvern, u tini gopp ghar-ragel u t-tifel u rahhas il-prezzijiet halli l-mara tibqa d-dar u t-tfal paxxuti. U ta’ sittax irrangali ghat-tifla ha tmur go fabrikka halli jkollha x’tonfoq.

    Pathetic bunch of peasants who have never lifted their faces from the earth they till (mentally not physically of course, that’s too much hard work). Incidentally, I have a great deal of respect for farmers, who are intelligent and hard working and most Nationalist!

    The Labour class is the inner city hangers on who have trudged from factory to brothel to pub for generations, out of their own choice, sakemm jasal Salvatur iehor.

  5. Joe Bloggs says:

    Tarcisio Mifsud’s dissertation, written for his Henley Management College MBA, was entitled ‘Why does the electricity division of EneMalta Corporation underperform when compared to international electricity utilities?’

    Now, hopefully, we may get to know why.

  6. david says:

    What about the Intershore company? If the Maltatoday report is correct, the allegations that this company was involved in corruption were completely false.

    [Daphne – Oh David, for heaven’s sake. Intershore was never accused of ‘corruption’. Tonio Fenech pointed out that Intershore handled George Farrugia’s money in a fiduciary account, and that Intershore was owned by the Labour Party’s financial controller. Work out the rest of the implications for yourself, please.]

  7. maryanne says:

    Saviour is late with the news.

  8. john says:

    Another ridiculous man who appears in public with a rug on his head.

  9. Oscar says:

    Hello Daphne, many thanks for keeping most of us sane with your wit, apart from always being first with the news.

    A friend phoned me to go on http://www.malta-surveys.com. The results seem pretty encouraging, and the site looks credible. What are your views?

    [Daphne – It’s just people going in and voting. Not scientific at all.]

  10. Il-Baruni says:

    Ghomru u zmienu mdahhal fil-flus.

    Anke laqmu “tas-sixpenz”.

  11. More info says:

    The other person that was arraigned this morning is also a Laborite. He was Mayor of Qormi as ‘independent’) back in 1996.

  12. Jolly Roger says:

    Malta is not Italy.

  13. village says:

    Mank ghamel dentatura ha daqshekk flus?

  14. JoeS says:

    You can’t get more Labour than Cisju. Bet there are a few more involved especially during the 22 months Sant was PM.

  15. TV Marlene says:

    Ah how smart and timely for our Johnny to fall sick while away.

  16. Bubu says:

    I remember him in the news after he was attacked, with Sant fawning all over him, wearing his stock facial expression for what passes for concern among emotionless automatons and Labour leaders.

  17. Wayne Hewitt says:

    Tarcisio Mifsud has been all over timesofmalta.com telling us how Enemalta ended up bankrupt under the ‘evil click’. Perhaps it’s because it got ruined with his commissions?

  18. just me says:

    This is not about this topic, but look at what is happening in Spain.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KTGdLdELuY

    If we are not careful, we could be facing the same problems in a few months.

    This is the change we will have if PL is elected.

  19. zunzana says:

    Jidher li l-aktar nies imdahhlin f’din il-korruzzjoni kollha ta-zejt huma Laburisti.

    Hu veru kaz li min jobzoq fis-sema jigi f’wiccu.

  20. Lunatics United says:

    “Independent Opinion-Maker” Dr Anna Mallia LLD drafted in to defend her uncle Tarcisio.

  21. Riya says:

    Mhux ta’ b’xejn kien qala’ xeba katina dan Tarcisio Mifsud tafux ghax anke lil dan Mallia beda jhedded waqt dan il-kaz.

    Min jaf ghalfejn?

  22. Gahan says:

    Alfred Mallia kien ikun fuq is-Super One Radio jaqra bil-Malti l-istejjer?

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