My heartfelt thanks, Times of Malta

Every day when I have breakfast, I read the Times of Malta, The New York Times, The Guardian, and The Seattle Times. Yes, I like to keep up to date with the news and opinions from around the world.

In the past five years I start each day, first, with Times of Malta. 

Times of Malta keeps readers informed on corruption.

Why? No other newspaper in the world can report an above the fold political corruption story almost on a daily basis. These stories almost write themselves.

I would like to offer up one suggestion to the managing editor. To keep all your readers informed about the latest in Maltese corruption, I think you should publish an online supplement every quarter. 

The mission would be to keep all readers up to date on all reportage of corruption, both its history and current status. 

Sometimes it’s hard for me to keep them straight; and their status. Oh, and please cross-reference them by major players.

Alan Zelt – Naxxar

Bernard Grech’s first 100 days

The leader of the opposition is already dreaming of climbing the steps of Castille as prime minister in 2027. He has already announced what he would be doing during his first 100 days at his Castille office. Everybody is allowed to dream.

Grech mentioned five decisions he would be making in those first 100 days. 

For a moment, I thought he would categorically state that, in line with his first decision, he would be submitting his party’s audited accounts, the list of party donors and payment of his party’s broadcasting licence, which he has failed to do since 2021, I was mistaken.

After promising, (a) to hold a national conference regarding Malta’s population problem (weren’t the Maltese, especially youths, not supposed to be leaving the island in droves?), (b) implement the Nationalist Party’s solutions regarding the cost of living, (c) enshrine the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment (talk is cheap) and (d) “adopt the laws the PN had proposed to address the recommendations of the public inquiry into Daphne Caruana Galizia’s assassination”.

His fifth decision is to: “Provide direction to recoup the €400 million spent on the fraudulent hospital’s concession” (note, “spent”, not “stolen” this time).

When Grech made this fifth and last decision, which he said he would implement in his first 100 days, I wondered if he was already aware of what former PN finance minister, John Dalli, stated recently during an interview on TV.

When his interviewer mentioned that the architect who was directly involved in the construction of Mater Dei Hospital had testified under oath before a board of inquiry set up to look into the use of weak concrete that “no one knows where Lm200 million had ended”, Dalli had corrected his interviewer, saying: “Between Lm400 and Lm600 million”. 

I have not seen any official PN denial to Dalli’s claim. In order for Grech to gain some credibility, may I suggest he adds pledge number (e) that he would immediately ask the auditor general to investigate Dalli’s shocking statement.

Eddy Privitera – Naxxar