Nobody is surprised that Malta has fallen behind Rwanda and Saudi Arabia on a global corruption perceptions index because people have grown used to political scandals, the Green Party said on Saturday.
In a press conference led by party chairperson Sandra Gauci and deputy general secretary Mario Mallia, the ADPD described plans to reform inquiries as a “clear abuse of power” that will allow “those in government the power to steal from the people without any qualms.”
Gauci said the party was endorsing a demonstration that will be held on Sunday at 4pm outside parliament, intended to voice displeasure with the government’s plan to reform inquiries laws.
The 2024 edition of Transparency International’s corruption perception index report, released last week, ranked Malta 65th worldwide – its lowest-ever ranking.
Malta’s score placeed it alongside Kuwait, Montenegro and Romania, and behind Saudi Arabia, and Rwanda. Only Bulgaria and Hungary ranked lower in Europe.
ADPD’s Mallia said corruption in Malta has now “reached levels that we have not witnessed before.”
“Corruption has been allowed to grow like a cancer and has now become something that we have got used to. Corruption has become normalised. The situation is very serious,” he said, speaking outside the law courts in Valletta.
Mallia expressed concern that, rather than being strengthened, institutions were being hijacked.
“When you have a police commissioner who does not intervene despite reports presented to him proving that there is corruption, bribery, and phantom jobs, and when you have an Attorney General acting as a shield for those who break the law instead of working for justice, you have some of the greatest threats to the rule of law,” he said.
ADPD chairperson Sandra Gauci said the government’s push to fast-track an overhaul of magisterial inquiries was further evidence of its bad intentions.
“If this passes through, citizens will have lost an important tool to fight corruption,” Gauci said, noting that it was thanks to citizen-led inquiries that the Vitals hospital scandal had come to light.
“With the government so keen to have this law in place, it makes one wonder how many more scandals are waiting to be discovered,” she mused. Gauci said it appeared people in government wanted to put themselves above the law.
“With a police commissioner and attorney general who have no interest in working against corruption, this will be the final nail in the coffin,” she warned.
Gauci said that ADPD would, if elected to parliament, work to uphold transparency and accountability as foundations of government.