Joseph Muscat resisted setting up a public inquiry into the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia for a whole two years. He concocted all sorts of excuses in order not to set it up.
At the end, he was forced to act through the foreign pressure of European politicians and institutions. Muscat refused to implement the obvious and ended up by humiliating a whole country that was forced into obeying the orders of foreign politicians. Worse than the worst periods of colonial times.
Today, we understand why Muscat put up such a resistance. He partied, socialised with and accepted rich gifts from Yorgen Fenech, who is charged with commissioning the assassination; he asked the latter’s opinion on middleman Melvin Theuma’s reliability; he warned Fenech – through buddy buddy Keith Schembri – that the investigators were strongly suspecting him.
On the background of such circumstances, Invictus’s attempts at self-preservation can be understood. What, instead, leaves one flabbergasted is the way Robert Abela is trying to liquidate the inquiry in the speediest of ways.
The first broadside by Abela on the board of inquiry was when the arrogant prime minister abused of his position to state that the inquiry has to end by this December.
Not happy with this, he tried to dirty the reputation of the three judges when he unashamedly declared: “I think the inquiry is an experiment, I have certain reservations about the way the inquiry is failing to keep to the terms of reference given to it”.
Still not content with this, Abela roped in the services of Glenn Bedingfield to denigrate the judges by stating that they are in it for the salary. Disgusting bullying by the man who owes all his political posts and appointments (MEP and MP [Joseph’s twos], employment at the OPM, Coordinator of the Cottonera Rehabilitation Committee) to Muscat and has, therefore, every interest to try and cover up for the misdeeds of his puppet master.
Abela is right to be worried about what is being revealed by the inquiry.
Evarist Bartolo confirmed what we all knew unofficially, that the real government in Muscat’s time was not the appointed cabinet but the kitchen cabinet made up of Muscat, Schembri and Konrad Mizzi.
Edward Scicluna confirmed the revelation made by Bartolo about the kitchen cabinet and added that he would not do anything about it because he could not jeopardise his ministerial salary.
Chris Fearne revealed that Schembri was untouchable for Muscat and that indeed he was interviewing who was to be a minister or not.
Louis Grech reiterated that Schembri was a most powerful untouchable in Castille.
Owen Bonnici was untruthful about a man who was self-injured at the Daphne memorial by stating that the man was injured by pro-Daphne activists.
Lawrence Cutajar revealed that Attorney General Victoria Buttigieg had given him the advice to keep Silvio Valletta on the investigation despite his clear conflict of interest.
The same Cutajar amazingly testified that, during his time as police commissioner, a file on the Panama Papers was not opened and nobody was interrogated with regard to 17 Black.
Robert Abela is right to be worried about what is being revealed by the inquiry- Arnold Cassola
Scicluna’s permanent secretary, Alfred Camilleri, revealed that Mizzi did a Totò Riina and asked Camilleri to “look him in the eyes” and to say that Mizzi was not involved in anything.
To sum it up, the inquiry is highlighting not only the various lies and omertà of the members of Muscat’s appointed cabinet but also the fact that they were all a bunch of cowards who did not raise a finger when faced with all the muck that Muscat was throwing at our Malta’s collective reputation.
There are two reasons why Abela wants to stop the inquiry by December.
First, because he wants to try and let Muscat, to whom he owes his victory over Fearne, off the hook.
Secondly, Abela’s reputation has plummeted over the past eight months because of his presumptuous behaviour and the stupidities uttered during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.
His regular weekend escapades to Ragusa while the virus was causing a rampage in Malta contributed to lowering his trust rating from 62.5 per cent in February to 54.5 per cent in June, to 51.7 per cent in September.
Abela, therefore, cannot afford more of these unbelievable revelations at the inquiry, together with the contents of Fenech’s WhatsApp and e-mail messages, spilling into 2021 since he was fully part of this cabinet of servile lackeys.
My assessment is that Abela will call an early election before summer 2021 to limit the damage he is causing Labour day by day.
Julia Farrugia’s wishes for Santa Marija limited only to her Qrendi and Mqabba constituents and Silvio Parnis’s 2,000-calorie roly-poly only for his Fgura constituents and other ministers frenetically doing house visits would confirm my hunch that the election campaign is on.
Allowing the inquiry to reveal further dirt during 2021, together with the unknown factor of COVID-19 next winter, can translate into a further loss of votes for Abela.
Also, giving time till 2022 for Bernard Grech to strengthen his grip over the PN machinery will further reduce the gap between the two parties.
Caruana Galizia has brought about the definite demise of Invictus.
Abela is now desperately trying to ensure that he too does not end up in the proverbial political excrement that is hitting the fan.
Arnold Cassola is former secretary general of the European Green Party.