Shock in my town

I am trying hard to understand the background to the story involving the request for magisterial inquiry into Economy Minister Silvio Schembri.

In his response to the request for a magisterial inquiry by renegade former PN parliamentarian Jason Azzopardi, Schembri produced a note from a certain Ivan Camilleri and introduced him as the content writer in Caroline Muscat’s The Shift.

Camilleri – the disgraced former Times journalist, a serial shoplifter at a Naxxar supermarket and more importantly whose name cropped up during court testimony as someone who informed Yorgen Fenech of his impending arrest in 2019 – declared in his note that he took Schembri’s word and retracted all he wrote in his articles that lambasted Schembri.

Now, what is very revealing here, is that we now know for a fact that Ivan Camilleri is behind many of the writings in The Shift, which were however not signed. We could only guess that Camilleri was behind some of the reports because we knew his style.

In my case, his obsession with me is partly justified considering that I revealed his thievery, even though The Times initially opted to defend him. More importantly, I have always shown him for what he is – a malicious person with a big chip on his shoulder, which is reflected in his writings and choice of subjects.

Yet, the most curious observation, is that Silvio Schembri knew that Ivan Camilleri worked with The Shift and got him to write a declaration. If that is not strange what is?

Furthermore, was Camilleri’s editor at The Shift, Caroline Muscat, even aware of this declaration? If so, why have none of the articles been amended or retracted, or have a right of reply attached to them to reflect Camilleri’s volte face? Or was this Camilleri’s sole doing?

And what was the reason for this declaration at such a late stage – some of the articles have been online for more than a year – with the minister seemingly satisfied with a private declaration rather than a public retraction? The mind baffles.

But Schembri’s revelation about Ivan Camilleri was peanuts compared to the declarations we experienced first-hand from the Prime Minister.

Palestine, Alex Dalli and ministers’ assets

First, Robert Abela came out with a declaration about the need to discuss Malta’s neutrality and whether it is posing limitations. Why?  It seems to have worked quite well. Why even consider changing it?

I feel very strongly about neutrality but so do some senior Labour ministers. I believe we can make more noise preaching peace than screaming about war or letting big warships and sleek military aircraft use our ports and airspace. Malta is and will never be in a position to spend millions on defence, and it makes sense – because we are too small to be of any relevance in a military conflict.

Strangely, Abela’s declaration just before Donald Trump came out with his shocking declaration of expanding US territory to the eastern Mediterranean by taking possession of Gaza and turning it into a ‘Riviera’, while deporting 2.3 million Gazans.

I know that some senior political figures love Trump; they do not even hide it. But they should know that Trump is just insane and has no respect for the rule of law.

Just imagine for a minute Vladimir Putin or Xi Jinping coming out with such an idea. Everyone would be waving their hands and looking very serious. Can you imagine Roberta Metsola on that podium? And of course, our politicians here in Malta.

Curiously, Abela could not find the words to condemn in a polite way this American folly; or shall we call it an affront on a people and in full defiance of international law.

Neither did Bernard Grech or Metsola say anything. They seem to have better things to do.

When journalists asked Abela whether he would recognise Palestine as a State, I listened and tried to understand the logic behind his answer. It was incomprehensible, which leads me to believe that the Labour government is flirting with the US.

Looking at the limited number of European guests and the special place for Malta at the Trump inauguration (Ian Borg was one of the few invited guests), it appears our island has a special place in the heart of American politics. Or shall we state that American politics has a special place in the heart of Maltese political leaders?

But after Abela’s waffling on the issue of Palestinian statehood, his replies only got worse when confronted with other pressing concerns.

The Prime Minister dived deep and headfirst into the Alex Dalli saga.  He stood by the former director of prison who will go down in history as the man who commanded a prison that had on record the highest number of deaths and suicides ever.

Dalli led a primeval administration at the prison; one that was driven by cruelty. Dalli, a retired army officer, was unfit to occupy the post of prison director and yet Abela’s administration stood by him when stories of severe punishment and humiliation in prison started to emerge. He was only removed after the situation became too hot to handle and yet Dalli was awarded another government job as special envoy to Libya.

Why Abela chose to stand by Alex Dalli, while decapitating others from his Cabinet for venial sins, beats me.

The last straw that broke the camel’s back, was Abela’s decision in refusing to publish the declaration of assets for Cabinet ministers. His explanation was that there was a reform in place that would lead to more transparency.

Abela’s outburst with the press came after a recommendation from the standards tsar.

Why should the assets of ministers not be up for scrutiny? Is there something to hide? And why discontinue a tradition to have these declarations tabled in parliament?

The feeling I have is that the government has adopted a siege mentality. It is abundantly obvious to everyone, including the Labourites who speak to me. The indications are clear. When social media suddenly changes tack and the bile and toxic waves against MaltaToday and myself come from Labour folk not Nationalist folk I am convinced that something is happening.

I am also amused by the reaction to our electoral surveys and all the conspiratorial theories about MaltaToday, such as the assertion that we cook the numbers and devise narratives to please the Nationalist Party.

I am relieved by the fact that my conscience is clear and that we do what we must do, never succumbing to pressure from either side. 

On a personal note, I am comforted by the fact that I am more of a Labourite than some of my harshest Labour critics – those who some years back were never in politics or were remotely involved, or still drinking from the waters of the political party they so much despise today.