Court wipeout

Former Nationalist parliamentary secretary and presently maverick lawyer and legal adviser to the PN’s front organisation, Repubblika, Jason Azzopardi has again suffered a wipeout in court, when three of his requests for magisterial inquiries against two Labour ministers were thrown out.

I do not believe Azzopardi is so legally naive that he did not know that his allegations were frivolous. So why has he been making such serious allegations?

Jason Azzopardi. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier

I am convinced that his aim was twofold. First, to undermine the reputation not only of the ministers and the other people concerned but also of the government. His second aim was to continue to create the perception of corruption, not just in Malta but, even more so, in Europe and beyond.

It is a fact that when someone makes such serious allegations about corruption, fraud and money laundering, many start believing there must be some truth. Even when the court finds that the allegations were baseless, there will still be people who will continue to believe the allegations.

The reforms being introduced, will, hopefully, drastically cut down, if not completely eliminate, such malicious tactics, which have been used almost exclusively by just a handful of people for purely political interests.

Serious, well-founded allegations will now not only be much more transparent, fair and just for both the accuser and the accused but the inquiry will have a time limit for its conclusion. Today, a magisterial inquiry can last many years, as is happening to the inquiry regarding Azzopardi when he was parliamentary secretary responsible for lands, dating back to 2012.

But once Azzopardi rarely takes ‘No for an answer’ for anything which he wants, he has decided to embark on a “heinous attack” – as the prime minister has defined it – on two magistrates, magistrate Brigitte Sultana, the magistrate who handed down the decisions rejecting  Azzopardi’s three requests for a magisterial inquiry. And magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech, who Azzopardi claims, had authored the same decisions.

Members of Malta’s judiciary beware. Either you bow down to Azzopardi’s demands, or else...! 

Eddy Privitera – Naxxar

Ideals… not deals

Anne Applebaum’s Autocracy, Inc. argues that modern politicians are driven by deals, not ideals. Political power is now shaped by financial, paramilitary and technological networks rather than national values.

This explains why leaders like Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin collaborate despite ideological differences. Their alliance is not ideological but transactional, aimed at consolidating wealth and power while weakening democratic institutions.

Malta reflects this trend, with rising corruption and governance concerns. The Panama Papers exposed offshore accounts linked to top officials, while the Vitals Global Healthcare case revealed collusion between government figures and private investors. Transparency International ranks Malta among the worst EU states in tackling corruption.

The 2017 assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, who exposed high-level corruption, further highlighted these issues. Businessman Yorgen Fenech, accused of orchestrating her murder, was recently released on bail, raising doubts about Malta’s justice system.

Corruption thrives in silence. Journalists, citizens and institutions must unite to expose it.

Without action, democracy falls. Only relentless pressure restores justice.

Mark Miceli-Farrugia – Ta’ Xbiex