Blame yourselves for this bloody mess

I was left stunned by the fact that last week, not a single journalist or TV presenter has approached MaltaToday to debate or present its version of events on the oil scandal. Perhaps it is symptomatic of the way things happen in this small Republic. 

I know that this is not good news for the PN. But it is not my fault if the PN has created an environment where its political appointees and sycophants, and the lack of checks and balances, have led to this disaster.

The media in general - captained by TVM - have done everything in their power to bury the story that is on everyone's lips. I am at peace with myself for having done the right thing. I am also aware that this story has left a serious dent on the credibility of the Nationalist administration. But it is not me they should blame, it is themselves: for not having dealt with the perennial problems related to conflict of interest, and the culture of how appointments and consultancies are decided.

I am aware that this is merely the tip of the iceberg, that corruption is institutionalised and that politicians and the political class have done nothing to stop it. 

That the commission on corruption is a waste of time can be seen from the fact that Sammut was already a person under investigation and yet, he was still reappointed.

It's all very nice to listen to Mario de Marco declare that he is against corruption, but quite another thing to see something concrete being done about it.

I have no doubt that the actions of Frank Sammut, George Farrugia and others were well known to the political class, and by politicians who ran this country. 

When in the late 80s I published damning stories about the unbelievable corruption of Lorry Sant and so many other Labour cronies, the prime minister of the day was well informed of what Sant had been up to. He was informed about this and he did nothing about it. It involved a network of people, many of whom are still active in business or reputable institutions.

I do not share Joseph Muscat's gracious views on Fenech Adami. I believe that Fenech Adami sowed the seeds of  'tolerance' but he did this the wrong way, chiefly by allowing many of his ministers and political appointees to get away with serious misconduct.

Muscat's recent praise for Fenech Adami is really out of place. Fenech Adami, all throughout, chose never to castigate his ministers. Instead, he stood by them and allowed those who had the gall to stand up and speak the truth to wither in the background.

In this respect, Lawrence Gonzi is miles ahead of Fenech Adami. He does not embrace his ministers if they make mistakes, and he does take some form of action... albeit acting way too slowly most of the time. Gonzi goes about it in his own distinctive way, always using others to do the dirty work and by side-lining those ministers whom he believes have erred.

When I carried the story last Sunday, I was at once informed that one minister had decided to institute libel proceedings against me.

I have nothing to fear. When we meet in court I will present the emails which refer to the case. I never said that any minister was implicated, but if the Maltese police were the equivalent of Giovanni Kessler of OLAF and Rita Schembri - the disgraced chief of the Internal Audit and Investigations Department, and a businesswoman in her own right - I do think that that particular minister would not be facing an easy ride.

It's a pity that there's not a court of law or legal body to gauge and decide on bad governance, because I'm sure they could easily condemn a few people to life imprisonment. 

Unlike many ministers, I do not rush to have my sins absolved. I shudder to think that I will share the same celestial space they share. Indeed, I would prefer to spend the rest of my time in hell with all the sinners: those who were stupid enough not to have confessed their sins in time.

One thing I know is that after 9 March, I still hope to be around. After 9 March, I will be there, though many politicians will not. 

All throughout my years as a journalist I have striven to prove that the institutions are corrupt and foment corruption. Frank Sammut is not alone. He is one of many.

And the solution to not having history repeat itself is by reforming the institutions and of having clear demarcation lines between politics, business and government.

That kind of policy, I'm afraid, is not to be seen in any of the political parties' manifestos or electoral programmes.

Things need to change, that much is for certain - but this change yields no concrete results, it'll just turn out to have been a change for the sake of change, and nothing more. That, I'm afraid, is the sad thing about democracy.

Then again, the quote that comes to my mind is the one by Mahatma Ghandi: "In matters of conscience, the law of the majority has no place."