Finally, an investigation has found former prime minister Joseph Muscat guilty of breach of ethics.
Muscat invited Yorgen Fenech, alleged murderer and owner of 17 Black, to his birthday party for a small select group of close friends at his official summer residence at Girgenti in 2019.
Muscat accepted three bottles of expensive wines from the disgraced businessman.
The former prime minister came out defiant as ever. “I cannot agree with the report because it is based on perception, not on fact.”
No surprise there. Muscat has perfected the art of “making lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind”.
As George Orwell declared: “We have now sunk to a depth at which restatement of the obvious is the first duty”.
So here is the obvious: facts, undisputed even by Muscat, not perceptions.
1. Muscat invited Fenech to his 2019 birthday party for a select few.
2. Fenech attended Muscat’s party.
3. Muscat accepted three bottles of expensive wine from Fenech.
More facts, not perceptions:
1. Muscat had known at least since November 2018 that 17 Black belonged to Fenech.
2. Muscat knew that Keith Schembri and Konrad Mizzi’s secret companies were linked to 17 Black.
3. Muscat knew that Fenech was suspected of involvement in Daphne Caruana Galizia’s assassination as he formed part of the Security Committee.
So what was Muscat’s defence?
Muscat knew Fenech was under investigation for the serious crime of money laundering separate from the murder
In a letter addressed to the Commissioner of Standards dated January 31, 2020, Muscat shamelessly stated that “I was acting according to my responsibilities as Prime Minister”.
He went on to state that “Every step I made was with the knowledge and guidance of the security services”.
Muscat’s excuse is that the security services advised him to invite Fenech to his private party and to continue to text him. According to him, he received advice from security services to continue his relationship with Fenech as “business as usual” so that Fenech would not suspect that he was being investigated for his involvement in the murder.
But Fenech was already under criminal investigation by the police and a magisterial inquiry into 17 Black had been launched. Muscat knew Fenech was under investigation for the serious crime of money laundering separate from the murder.
On November 21, 2018, Muscat publicly declared that 17 Black was under investigation, having confirmed with the Attorney General that investigations into the company had been under way since March 2018. He knew well who 17 Black belonged to – and so did the rest of us, no thanks to Muscat or his chief of staff.
But for Muscat, “business as usual” meant exchanging text messages with and inviting to his private birthday party a man who everybody, including the man himself, knew was being investigated for money laundering.
This was the norm – the ethical standard – for Malta’s prime minister for all to see. A prime minister of a European Union state texting a man under criminal investigation for serious crime and inviting him to his private party at the Prime Minister’s official summer residence.
All fact. No perception.
Even worse, the alleged criminal expected to be invited to the party. He knew his friend Muscat would continue to include him in his close circle despite both of them and the general public knowing he was under investigation for a serious crime.
Muscat has become increasingly detached from the reality that he is a dead weight. He shrieks in protest – but I was the only prime minister who left a list of gifts, I gave up the wine, I gave up the watch, I gave up Keith, even Konrad, I resigned.
It is too late now.
Justice Minister Edward Zammit Lewis is disingenuous when he states that this is not a grievous breach and that no sanctions are warranted.
This has nothing to do with wine and gifts. This is outright criminal behaviour at the highest level – a prime minister protecting and maintaining a close personal relationship with a man he and everybody else knew was under investigation for money laundering and murder. And he has the gall to try and pull wool over our eyes.
As Muscat himself aptly put it: “Dan huwa fatt.” This is a fact.
Kevin Cassar, consultant vascular surgeon and former PN candidate