Robert Abela again proves he meant what he said – literally – when he pledged continuity. The government’s decision to grant an amnesty to disability benefit fraudsters guarantees impunity, demolishes the rule of law and weakens good governance.
Once again it sends a dangerous message: you are free to commit a crime knowing there is a good chance you will get away with it!
The scandal has all the ingredients of an elaborate vote-buying scheme but not only. From what we know so far, it appears some people even lined up their pockets handsomely in the process.
So, this is not just a matter of influencing the outcome of an election but also outright corruption, a hideous crime, which the courts, not politicians, should deal with.
All the relevant authorities should have acted fast to get to the bottom of it. Still, although the first recorded case dates back to 2016, it was only the small fry who were taken to court.
The person suspected of playing a crucial role in the racket – a Labour MP – was asked to resign his seat but all was kept quiet.
Now, in trying to defend his government’s decision to grant a presidental pardon, the prime minister has the cheek to speak of justice delayed being justice denied.
Coming just weeks before an electoral test for Abela, this pardon has the hallmarks of an election gimmick and one that carries serious consequences.
The Malta Chamber put it succinctly when it said the “government needs to be on the side of what is right and send clear signals that it will not come to the rescue of abusers or restrain those who want to set things straight”.
Amnesties, former chief justice Silvio Camilleri had warned, are a threat to the rule of law and provoke among law-abiding people “a strong sense of injustice because the law no longer remains equal to all”.
However, Abela – evidently panicking as he sees the prospects of Labour possibly losing its fourth seat in the European Parliament and suffering possible setbacks in June’s local elections – attempts to sell his latest ploy as a noble gesture by a merciful society.
If the prime minister wants a merciful society, he should, first of all, ensure all citizens are treated equal and that justice prevails for all. That also means respecting in practice the independence of the judiciary.
If Abela truly wants a merciful society, he should have ensured the police and the attorney general would first firmly deal with the big fish.
Eliminating the spider is the first step to take when trying to remove a web of corruption and illicit gains. The Malta Chamber was right when it publicly expressed incredulity that such a racket could operate for years “without anyone batting an eyelid”.
He should have listened to what those with a finger in the pie – whether small or big – have to say, including allegations that a cabinet minister could have been potentially involved.
If Abela genuinely wanted to help the vulnerable people who, he says, were themselves cheated, he should have immediately instructed the social welfare authorities to see why some who were deserving were falling through the net.
Making any new entitlement retroactive could have, in turn, allowed the affected vulnerable recipients to be able to right the wrongs of their ill-gotten gains in a just and fair manner.
Abela, however, had other thoughts in mind: vote buying. His decision, thus, can only harm the merciful society he speaks about. Nothing surprises us any more. But the worst thing we can do is to accept institutionalised corruption as a way of life.