As opposition spokesperson on national security matters I have over the last days been asked why the opposition has decided not to participate in the ‘grilling’ exercise of Robert Abela’s appointee for commissioner of police.
The answer to this question is very clear: we so decided because we should not, and shall not, be part of a process which is a farce from beginning to end.
We shall not participate in an exercise intended only to legitimise what Abela has already decided upon.
We shall not be part of a process which, bottom line, leaves us in a situation where Abela hires and Abela fires the new police commissioner.
Let’s put everything in a context. The police corps has over the last seven years gone through a rough time. This shall be the seventh police commissioner in as many years.
An average of one new commissioner for every year in power of Labour. This in itself is indicative as to how bad the situation really is.
The police corps is at this very moment faced with serious accusations against former police commissioner Lawrence Cutajar, former deputy police commissioner Silvio Valletta and other high ranking officers directly involved in undermining the Daphne Caruana Galizia murder investigation.
The police corps is in a situation where a large number of members of the traffic section are involved in a massive scam of fraud, misappropriation and abuse.
Many believe this is the tip of the iceberg.
It is in this context that the Nationalist Party has over the last months appealed to Abela to seize the moment, to turn the leaf, to send a message that he understands how bad the situation is.
Over the last months we have appealed to the government to reach out and seek consensus on the name of the next police commissioner.
Over the last months we proposed that it is time to have a police commissioner who enjoys the support of two-thirds of MPs.
We genuinely appealed to the government to make an effort and send a message that the mistakes of the last seven years will not be repeated. However, Abela wants to plod on. There is too much to lose.
The process Abela launched is a process wherein he has already chosen who he desires as police commissioner.
Abela did not have the decency to inform the public at large, or even those who put their name to be considered for the post, who the other shortlisted applicant is.
Abela has just imposed on all the name of his chosen one and there is no way this choice can be now stopped.
And now Abela expects us, members of the opposition to rubber-stamp his choice.
There will come a time when we shall grill the new police commissioner- Beppe Fenech Adami
Thank you but no thank you. The process imposed by Abela is far from the grilling many perceive.
It is more of a slow cooking exercise where questions have to be sent beforehand, where the questions which may be put forward are also limited in nature. We shall not be part of this farce.
There will come a time when we shall grill the new police commissioner. We shall grill him and ask questions on the progress made in investigating Keith Schembri and Konrad Mizzi on their Panama companies. We shall ask as to what investigations are under way to disclose the owner of Egrant.
We shall grill the new police commissioner on the progress made in investigating Vitals and the new power station corruption.
We shall ask for information on the progress made in investigating former police commissioner Cutajar, former deputy police commissioner Valletta, Schembri and Chris Cardona and their alleged involvement in the Caruana Galizia murder.
Take my word.
We shall grill him on such matters. We shall ensure that justice is done. We shall keep the new commissioner under our watch.
We hope he does his duty and when he does so we shall positively judge him.
If he fails to do so we shall keep on insisting on justice.
That’s why we are in politics. That’s what decent people expect from us.
That’s our duty.
Beppe Fenech Adami is PN home affairs spokesperson.