October 16 came and went. Labour’s ONE completely ignored that black day in our nation’s history. None of the activities commemorating Caruana Galizia’s assassination, held in Malta and around Europe, got a mention on ONE. Instead, on October 18, ONE News reported on Robert Abela’s happy birthday greetings on Facebook to his wife Lydia: “Today we celebrate you Lydia and tomorrow our wedding anniversary. Thank you for everything you do for Giorgia Mae and me.”
Maybe that’s why Abela got distracted. Maybe that’s why he missed all the poignant events marking Caruana Galizia’s extermination.
What is wrong with this man?
Why are the US ambassador, the UK high commissioner, European commissioners, the European Parliament, several top diplomats and anti-Mafia activists attending Caruana Galizia’s commemorative events while Abela trembles in fear at the thought of mentioning her name?
Abela’s public disrespect for her memory is no accident. It’s no oversight. It’s a coordinated strategy. ONE hasn’t mentioned her since last July – only to report that the shameless Konrad Mizzi and his communications co-ordinator, Lindsey Gambin won their libels against the murdered journalist. It’s evident who’s ordering ONE’s blanket silence. The very thought of Caruana Galizia’s strikes fear and trepidation into Labour’s heart. From beyond her grave, she haunts them still.
Her work isn’t done. It hasn’t even started. No wonder Abela’s terrified.
The whole European Parliament denounced him, personally, for his creepy cynicism. In their resolution, MEPs declared they were “appalled by the prime minister’s statement downplaying acts of institutionalised corruption and considers such statements continue to entrench the culture of impunity for public officials embroiled in scandals”.
They condemned the impunity afforded to Joseph Muscat, Keith Schembri and Mizzi. They called on Abela’s government to “desist from its negative rhetoric targeting journalists and to cease fostering a climate which is hostile to journalists and media professionals”.
They lambasted his anti-deadlock mechanism for the appointment of the standards commissioner with a simple majority. They pointed out this was “in contradiction to the opinion of the Venice Commission”.
That EP resolution paid tribute to Caruana Galizia and her “essential work in exposing corruption, organised crime, tax fraud and money laundering”. The EP was doing what Malta’s prime minister should have done. This is the dark disturbing universe that Abela inhabits.
That resolution massacred Abela – 27 detailed condemnations of the prime minister and his government. This was pure humiliation. That resolution pulled no punches. It meticulously expressed its disgust at Abela and his efforts “to entrench the culture of impunity”, the very culture identified by the inquiry as the root cause for Caruana Galizia’s assassination.
Four hundred and thirty-seven MEPs, an overwhelming majority, voted for that brutal resolution. Just 14 MEPs voted against. The vote couldn’t have been more catastrophic for Abela.
Not even Alfred Sant or Cyrus Engerer voted against it. Two Labour MEPs, including a former prime minister, stayed away. Not even they could bring themselves to vote against the resolution. Abela’s own MEPs abandoned him.
Just days earlier, Engerer attended a round-table discussion about Caruana Galizia, organised by Repubblika. He publicly denounced much of Labour’s atrocious anti-democratic moves. He publicly endorsed all 20 of Repubblika’s proposals for a cleaner republic – and added five more of his own. So enthusiastic was he in condemning Labour that Corinne Vella, Caruana Galizia’s sister, stood up and challenged him: so will you vote in favour of the EP resolution next Wednesday? You will see, Engerer promised, as Corinne stormed out disgusted. He didn’t vote in favour but he didn’t vote against either.
The very thought of Daphne strikes fear and trepidation into Labour’s heart- Kevin Cassar
Only the clownish Alex Agius Saliba stood there defending Labour and making a fool of himself, earning the chair’s admonishment for rudely exceeding his time. Ironically, Agius Saliba accused MEPs of making a mockery (kummiedja) of the European Parliament and stating that MEPs had gone to Disneyland. He denounced the resolution for its half-truths but then proceeded to defy reality. “It is a lie that in Malta some form of impunity exists,” he shouted angrily.
Maybe he could explain why Mizzi has still not been indicted. Or why Silvio Grixti is still a free man. He could explain why, despite a court order to investigate former police commissioner Lawrence Cutajar for allegedly leaking confidential information to Melvin Theuma, he still evades justice. And what about Silvio Valletta? Or Ian Abdilla? Or Ram Tumuluri, Ali Sadr Hasheminejad, or Kenneth Camilleri? Or Muscat, for that matter.
Why on earth has nobody interrogated Ian Borg? Why has no action been taken against Rosianne Cutajar? What about the historical artefact in Anton Refalo’s poolside garden? What’s happened with Nexia BT, Pilatus Bank, the Mozura windfarm, Electrogas, Macbridge, Chen Cheng, Turab Musayev? Why has Michael Farrugia not been interrogated over his alteration of the high-rise zones after meeting Yorgen Fenech?
Agius Saliba spends too much time in Brussels. Or he’s watching too much ONE news. “Every allegation of corruption is being investigated and brought before the courts,” he declared. That’s not even a half-truth. It’s a total lie.
“It is a lie that there isn’t a strong commitment to deliver justice after Caruana Galizia’s assassination,” he lied. Does this man have no shame? His boss, Abela, got the Caruana Galizia inquiry report two years ago. He hasn’t implemented a single one of its multitude of recommendations. Not one. Where is Abela’s strong commitment?
Abela is committed only to scrub Caruana Galizia from the nation’s collective memory. On the sixth anniversary of her assassination, he made no statement, he attended no event, he didn’t even mention her name and made sure neither did ONE or any of his MPs.
He expressed no regrets or condolences. He offered no explanation or apology for his inaction. He made no pledge. He gave no reassurances that work is going on behind the scenes. He gave no timeframe for implementing recommendations. Meanwhile, his supporters, incited by Manuel Cuschieri, are still spewing the most vulgar and depraved hateful comments against her.
This isn’t normal. This isn’t humane. It’s not even human. Labour is a sick party with a sick leader. It not only ignores evil, it facilitates it by actively suppressing the memory of evil.