Is Abela’s position tenable?

Toni Abela is very believable when he says, with reference to the compromising recordings released in recent days, that he acted in good faith and not in his personal interest. There is little doubt that he was doing what he thought was right to sort out some difficult situations in Labour Party clubs.

The first incident that came to light involves some form of argument. The precise nature of this has been disputed but in any case is largely irrelevant. Whatever it was, Dr Abela did what he could to resolve the flare-up and avoid an escalation of events.

This involved going to the police station and trying to persuade the police not to take any action in relation to the dispute. On the face of it, nothing wrong in that. However, on the recording he is heard to say that he “found a Labourite policeman” and it appears that, as requested, no action was taken.

Several issues arise from this, not least whether the force’s internal affairs unit has made an attempt to identify this officer.

However, the most pertinent is why Dr Abela used that phrase. It may be argued that the kind of people he was talking to required the use of that sort of language. But such words become very precarious when they are used by the deputy leader of one of Malta’s main political parties and, to boot, when he is – however illicitly – recorded saying them.

It gives the almost inescapable impression that a matter in the hands of the police can be resolved without much fuss if people of like political affiliations are involved. This is most undesirable.

The second recording relates to a more serious subject, drugs, also within the context of unpleasant happenings at a Labour Party club.

Among other things, Dr Abela is heard saying: “A club president... found a man in a kitchen... who was cutting up a white block... I told him: what do you want me to do, file a report at the police station to get you into trouble?”

Dr Abela again took action. He sacked the person whom he considered responsible for the situation – the barman and not the club president, which is the impression given in the recording – and he dealt in an effective manner with the manner internally.

Crucially, however, he chose not to inform the police and he is heard saying this explicitly on the recording.

Given the nature of the incident – drugs, probably hard drugs, being dealt it seems in a place which the public has access to; and given the nature of Dr Abela’s position – as a lawyer he is an officer of the court, as well as being deputy leader of the PL; he had an overriding duty to report this incident. This was a matter far too serious to be swept under the carpet.

The Police Commissioner called Dr Abela in (quite inexplicably on Thursday night) to play him the recording and inform him that he was not taking any action (not even over the drugs find itself?).

But there is a gulf between criminal culpability and political responsibility. And given all the circumstances it is difficult to see how Dr Abela’s position can be tenable in the wake of these recordings.

The PL is under pressure too, given the benchmark it set when it sacked Anġlu Farrugia. By failing to act, the party will only foment the perception that it acted out of political convenience in Dr Farrugia’s case rather than conviction.

That is an accusation it can ill afford as it tries to present itself as a credible option for governing the country in a fair and open manner.