I demand a magisterial inquiry. I am not Joseph Muscat, Robert Abela, Simon Busuttil or Adrian Delia, whose demands for inquiries are immediately accepted.

They are powerful politicians. I am not. Yet, I demand an inquiry, even though I am not a powerful politician.

And I demand respect by the magistrature, not because of myself, but because the Maltese people demand respect, and are owed respect by the authorities.

The COVID-19 tsunami in Malta could have been avoided, but it was allowed to happen, indeed encouraged, by Abela and Julia Farrugia Portelli.

Of course, numbers are increasing everywhere. But nowhere were the numbers ‘invited’ to increase. Nowhere did a prime minister and a minister of tourism openly encourage hordes and hundreds of tourists to congregate in limited spaces and let their hair down.

The Medical Association of Malta has been telling the prime minister for months on end that he had to be careful and take the right measures, but the pompous person, so full of himself, was only bent on ridiculing these requests.

“Din mhix il-pesta”. “I want the Maltese to enjoy their summer”.  “I heard a lot of things about second wave this and second wave that. Waves are in the sea”. “The best thing people can do right now is go to the sea and enjoy themselves”.  “From right now (tell the tourists that) as a country we have defeated COVID”. These are just a few of the mocking responses Abela gave during the first March to May period.

Nowhere did a prime minister and a minister of tourism openly encourage hordes and hundreds of tourists to congregate in limited spaces

But, despite this false sense of security, the Medical Association of Malta continued sounding its warnings weekly, if not daily, during the months of July and August. Other professional medical bodies, which represent nurses, pharmacists, pathologists and mental health professionals joined MAM in their continuous appeal for caution and appropriate measures to be taken.

But, all to no avail. The prime minister and Tourism Minister Julia Farrugia Portelli just continued mocking the medical community and the whole population.

“We have won the war”.  “We know what we are doing”. “We will remain open for business”. “Everything under control”. “No worry, it is just mild Covid”. These are some examples of the lunatic responses given by this arrogant duo.

The tsunami has now arrived. We pray that there will be no human victims but the country’s economy will be in tatters for the near future and the social life of our citizens seriously conditioned.

Much of this could have been prevented with the mitigation measures proposed. But the arrogant duo were only worried about satisfying the needs of the business people who donate to their political party.

Among other things, a magisterial inquiry should investigate:

1. How many donations from business people were received in the last few years by individual candidates and their political parties.

2. How many government sponsorships were given to organisers of mass parties and mass activities.

3. How much government compensation is to be given to the same... for failing to organise the said mass activities.

4. Whether Prime Minister Robert Abela spoke to medical professionals, asking them not to highlight ‘negative’ information in their public appearances.

I am not Muscat or Abela, Busuttil or Delia.

But my inquiry request deserves an immediate response.

Arnold Cassola, former secretary general of European Green Party