Court logjam solution?

The Law Courts

An exhaustive probe by the commissioner for standards in public life concluded that Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo and Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri abused their power and violated ministerial ethics by giving lucrative top-level consultancy contracts to Amanda Muscat, Bartolo’s wife although she was underqualified for the job and no evidence was found that she actually carried out the work.

Prime Minister Robert Abela has ruled that if the two ministers apologise and say ‘sorry’ that would be enough, the matter is closed and no further action needs to be taken.

The prime minister’s stance has extensive implications. Carrying it to its logical conclusion, persons who are accused of misdemeanours, contraventions or criminal acts can make a public declaration that they apologise and are sorry for what they did and so be absolved from any further action being taken against them, even if overwhelming evidence exists. If so, the prime minister has, perhaps unwittingly gone a long way towards reducing the tremendous backlog of court cases waiting to be dealt with as well as preventing a fresh build-up of cases.

This situation would probably greatly displease many lawyers but I suppose that cannot be helped, progress often leaves some victims in its wake.

ALEX AGIUS CESAREO – Kappara

Disgusting show

Bernard Grech and Nationalist Party hardcore supporters have again regaled the Maltese people with a disgusting show in front of parliament, when supposedly protesting peacefully against ministers Clayton Bartolo and Clint Camilleri.

This is the second time PN protests in front of parliament have degenerated into a cacophony of insults hurled at each and every minister, parliamentary secretary and MP as they walked out of parliament.

What was even more shocking was to see their leader, Grech, watching the “show” without, at least, trying to show he did not approve of what his own supporters were doing.

It seems the PN wishes to take our country back to the politics of direct confrontation of the 1980s.

Eddy Privitera – Naxxar