I have re-read Times of Malta’s report of the testimony given on September 18 by Owen Bonnici in front of the board of inquiry into the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia, and cannot help but raise the following points. This in light of the fact that the man was in the home affairs ministry, and subsequently, our former justice minister. In other words, he was the first among equals whose principal duty was to ensure that justice is done and seen to be done on all counts.

Relationship with Kalin

Bonnici’s reflections on Christian Kalin, chairman of Henley and Partners, seem irrelevant, to say the least. Is it important that Kalin is cold and of little words? Professionalism doesn’t necessarily imply warmth or friendship. It in fact implies professional boundaries; in this case cold, objective calculation of what a country is going to be exposed to, especially when entering into business transactions that will affect not only its finances, but its international reputation.

Kalin was being entrusted with selling passports to people who would consequently become Maltese, that is, assume a Maltese identity.

The reputation of a country also depends on the way its citizens behave, both in the country itself and abroad.

Anything the passport purchasers did after this would mean that they would be identified as Maltese citizens, which means the reputation of the country also depends on them.

So, nobody cares whether Bonnici had difficulty in becoming buddy-buddies with Kalin. What is important is that he – a lawyer himself – should have done his duty and examined any scheme handed to him under a microscopic lens, to see what Malta was in for. That is why we, the taxpayers, gave him a salary both as a parliamentary secretary and as a minister.

Your testimony sounds to me like an effort to impress the gullible- Vicki Ann Cremona

Bonnici pointed out that there were legal remedies in Malta that Kalin could take against Daphne Caruana Galizia. He was forewarned that Henley and Partners were envisaging a SLAPP suit, a court case that was meant to cripple the journalist and muzzle the free press. His lip service to press freedom may be attested by the fact that Bonnici never lifted a finger to protect Maltese journalists from facing SLAPP suits, and because of this, persons or entities bent on silencing bold journalists or newspapers in this country have had a field day.

Duties and obligations

I shall not comment on the type of results that the disgraced former prime minister, Joseph Muscat, was seeking, because there is a highly competent board of inquiry that is bringing these results to light.

What is dubious is whether these results were in the interest of the Maltese people as a whole, or of a restricted group who were lining their pockets with taxpayers’ money. That will be established by the board, which will take all the time it needs to bring out the truth to the satisfaction of us Maltese.

The point I have found most infuriating in Bonnici’s testimony is the fact that once again, Labour ministers try to justify Konrad Mizzi’s thieving moves as “naïve”. This seems to be the new mantra from the Labour side.

Let us be clear about this. There is nothing “naïve” about opening a trust. You have to know fully what you are doing.

If the allegations against Konrad Mizzi and Keith Schembri are true, that is, that they – and the mysterious owners of Egrant – were robbing the Maltese taxpayer of €5,000 a day, that would amount to embezzlement at the very least, and the penalty for that is to be established by a court of law.

The dictionary definition of “naïve” is “innocent, artless, guileless, immature”.

This quality certainly does not apply to either Mizzi, Schembri or the Egrant owners. If the allegations about them are true, there are other epithets I would use to describe the behaviour of this bunch of rogues, but “naïve” would certainly not be one of them. Polite language forces me to refrain from what I would be labelling them as.

As justice minister, Owen Bonnici should not have just gone to speak to Konrad Mizzi.

He should have done something about the illegality of his actions, as well as those of anyone else on both sides of the house, if what they were doing goes against Maltese legislation.

The minister’s reference to the ‘scuffles’ near the makeshift memorial do not deserve any comment – except to say that it is bewildering that a justice minister, whose duty is to be impartial, never bothered to look at the videos and delve into the truth.

The memorial is there to stay until justice is finally delivered. And no one in this country should – or will be – allowed to hinder justice in any way.

Minister Bonnici, your ‘Honourable’ title demands that you uphold principles that are morally and ethically correct.

Your testimony sounds to me like an effort to impress the gullible. Please do not insult the intelligence of the Maltese nation.

Vicki Ann Cremona is president of Repubblika.