While wishing Helena Dalli the best of luck and success in her European nomination, I am troubled by her affirmation/insistence that journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia’s death was “primarily” a femicide.

Daphne’s murder was not only a femicide, neither was it a death, as defined by the Prime Minister. Her assassination was the most heinous, well-organised and specifically directed attack at Malta’s civil liberties since Independence.

It was not only a serious attack at a particular journalist but an attack at all those people willing to express their opinion or reveal the unenviable levels of corruption that our islands have attained during this administration. It was the single most serious threat to democracy since its inception in our islands.

This was not merely an accidental sideshow to a politically motivated shootout, but a deliberate attack meant to silence not just her but an entire sector of the democratic process. Her assassination was meant to serve the whims of a few, powerful, corrupt individuals.

Her assassination was meant to serve the whims of a few powerful, corrupt individuals

One even more serious issue is the ‘collaboration’ of local authorities to make it happen. As FBI agents so promptly noted, they were impressed with the amount of information local police had on the case, especially with regard to mobile communications between the hitmen.

It is now an open secret that world governments have been collaborating, making use of a powerful Israeli program known as NSA, particularly Phoenix, where they are able to identify, listen into and record encrypted communications within the criminal world.

If it turns out that the authorities knew well beforehand what was going to happen (in this and other criminal cases), then it is not only an issue of incompetence but rather a clear intent in collaborating in a crime – silencing a journalist. Furthermore, the present situation is hinting at the possibility of collaboration with the same hitmen for their own intents and purposes, promising protection in the process.

The FBI has offered its help in solving another 18 or even more crimes relating to the same hitmen. No, it is not offering to find the alleged killers – we already have them in custody. The FBI offered to find those who were the masterminds (whether one or several) behind these murders. These murders include six car-bomb crimes and other ‘wild west’ executions. The answer from the Maltese government sounded like a deafening refusal!

If, as information is coming out, we come to find that Daphne’s murder included a number of middlemen, messengers “above suspicion” and a number of masterminds, what will result when we start investigating the other 18 murders of high-profile businessmen? Who benefited economically from their elimination? We need to get to the bottom of these questions.

The consequences will be disastrous for many, not only those directly involved, but also people who are innocent bystanders, including families and employees. The consequences will also be devastating for the whole Maltese community, as we edge ever closer to a political situation the likes of which we have never confronted – openly corrupt politicians who will go all the way not to surrender their power. This is not a partisan issue, but a national issue.

Daphne’s murder was not a femicide as the word is used by women’s groups around the world protesting thousands of deaths around Europe and the world, namely the killing of a woman or girl at the hands of a male – whether a husband, partner or jilted lover – on account of her gender.

The so-called authorities had hoped this murder would remain unsolved. Resolving the case would open an unfavourable and unsavoury Pandora’s box for the ruling party. Now that we have had a peep inside, it is already terrifying! Will anyone let us open this box any further, or will the situation be overtaken by events?

It will take only one ‘unintended’ incident for the situation to flare up into a national tragedy. As usual, many hope to wake up and discover that this was only a bad dream. Many would prefer sweeping these events under the carpet; who cares about corruption, who cares about these murders?

We are not a nation that likes to look back and reflect on past issues or happenings. The opinion of many is that such situations resolve themselves. However, this situation is not about to go away as many people hope it will. This is not one single case of corruption or murder that we are looking into, but there are dozens (even hundreds) of known similar corruption cases involving the very same commercial and political persons.

The issue now is whether a corrupt government will surrender its power. The consequences of that decision will have ever more serious, terrifying, even horrific repercussions for us all.

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