Arrogance, conceit and greed are not rare qualities among politicians, especially those occupying the highest offices, but they became a hallmark of Joseph Muscat’s six-year administration.
When things get out of hand, some assume responsibility and leave the scene, others insist they have nothing to apologise for and a few continue to give the finger to democracy and spit in the people’s face.
Former energy minister Konrad Mizzi, once described as the Labour Party’s ‘star’ candidate and a ‘heavyweight’ in Muscat’s cabinet who got things done, clearly falls into the last category.
He has brazenly and shamelessly pulled a fast one on parliament by repeatedly failing to show up and answer questions on the Electrogas deal. He has put himself above the country’s highest institution.
One cannot really expect any better from Mizzi, given the attitude he has consistently adopted ever since he appeared out of nowhere and was pushed to the fore by Labour after Muscat became leader. More arrogantly still, he has no qualms about embittering society by his actions, including his own constituents and the Labour Party to which he owes so much.
It seems standing orders allow an MP to decide not to appear before a parliamentary committee. He also has the right to be accompanied by a legal adviser if he does.
However, he lacks the decency to desist from trying to fool the public accounts committee, by making excuse after excuse for not turning up.
Nobody would be blamed for concluding that, like a suspected criminal summoned for police interrogation invoking his right to remain silent, Mizzi is afraid he may incriminate himself over the Electrogas deal on which there is so much evidence of corruption.
Because of the cloud hanging over him, Labour stripped Mizzi of his deputy-leadership role and threw him out of its parliamentary group.
He is now an independent MP. Yet, the Labour representatives on the public accounts committee continue to shield him.
Meanwhile, the best Prime Minister Robert Abela could do was to declare, when asked a direct question, that Mizzi should indeed appear before the committee.
Abela must go beyond that. He should have told Mizzi, immediately after his first refusal to attend the parliamentary committee meeting, that unless he appeared before it at its next meeting, he would second the planned PN parliamentary motion ordering him to testify.
At the same time, he should have ordered his MPs on the committee not to defend Mizzi or even appear to be defending him. If they have a problem doing so – perhaps because they feel more committed to Mizzi than to the prime minister or to Labour itself – then he should have substituted them as committee members forthwith.
As Labour leader, he should take the matter to its logical conclusion and also expel Mizzi as a party member.
And Abela should also have let it be known publicly that, as a prime minister, politician and citizen, he expects the police to proceed against Mizzi in view of the long list of allegations he is facing.
Abela is missing another opportunity to show he is truly committed to putting the country back on the right track in the eyes of the international community, even if it damages Labour. He can’t run with the hare and hunt with the hounds. He is either unable or unwilling to realise the serious consequences that his inaction is having on both country and party.
As the impunity that Mizzi symbolises continues to prevail – the root cause of the FATF’s greylisting of Malta – he risks the perception of grey turning to black.