Malta Fisheries Director Andreina Fenech Farrugia with EU commissioner Karmenu Vella.
Suspended director denies improper payments related to illegal tuna trade
MALTA
Saturday, February 16, 2019, 02:10 (GMT + 9)
The general director of the Department of Fisheries, Andreina Fenech Farrugia, who was suspended for her alleged participation in maneuvers related to the tuna illegal trade in Spain, insists she never acted incorrectly, and claims payments were only made to her in her official capacity of director.
Cover of the Times of Malta newspaper describing how the Director had been promoted
Her suspension was ordered on Tuesday, after the Spanish press revealed extracts of phone calls between her and a Spanish tuna producer.
“I always acted in a professional, ethical and fair manner in terms of the law, and I was always impartial and fair with all operators and individuals involved in the sector,” highlighted Fenech Farrugia, according to Times of Malta.
Investigators believe they have exposed 'the tip of the iceberg'.
The director said the allegations against her were based on summaries of alleged telephone conversations she could not confirm as having been made. Besides, there were not word-for-word transcripts of the alleged calls, but summaries which may have been misinterpreted or taken out of context.
Copy of the police report where the contents of the telephone calls between Ramon Fuentes and Andreina Fenech Farrugia are clarified (Times of Malta)
Dr. Fenech Farrugia was appointed director general in 2013 after a public call. The same process was repeated in 2016. She previously held the position in 2011 and also held other senior positions since 1996 including scientific officer and principal scientific officer in the Fisheries Department.
Discharge of Adreina Fenech Farrugia before the authorities (Times of Malta)
The director explained that as part of her duties, it was normal for her to communicate every day with all operators in the sector. She had been equally available to anyone, contrary to the impression given in some reports that she communicated only with one operator.
Besides, she strongly denied having ever solicited or received money for her personal use.
“Official payments, in terms of the law, were made to me as director, and it is therefore obvious that if an operator was to have an increase in his quota, he would have had to made a payment to me as director, according to his quota increase in terms of the law,” she said.
In this regard, she said she found it strange she had been singled out in an extensive investigation that included many operators, individuals, companies and entities.
In fact, she insisted that, over the years, she had ordered several times to take action against the operator mentioned in the reports, in the same way that she ordered that measures should be taken against others if considered necessary.
► Discharge of Adreina Fenech Farrugia before the authorities (Times of Malta)
Dr. Fenech Farrugia stressed that any request for an increase in fishing fees was handled in a transparent manner by the relevant authorities, and against the payment of hundreds of thousands of euros to her as director, in accordance with the provisions of the law.
The Fisheries director assured she will continue cooperating with the authorities.
Related article:
-Malta fisheries director suspended for alleged illegal tuna trade
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