Two torpedoes hitting PN

Two political torpedoes have hit the PN within a few days. The first one is the latest “battle” within the PN’s civil war which has been ongoing since Adrian Delia made it known that he would be contesting the PN leadership race in 2017.

It started when new PN MP, Joe Giglio unleashed his unexpected attack on Maria Efimova, the alleged fraudster who had originated the Egrant story on which Daphne Caruana Galizia and Simon Busuttil had promptly jumped, believing Efimova’s accusation that the Egrant company had belonged to then prime minister Joseph Muscat’s wife, Michelle would bring down the PL government to be replaced by a PN one.

Giglio’s definition of Efimova as “a manipulator of facts” and as a person who could not be trusted – adding that he had in hand documentary proof which prove what he was saying – was considered by the PN’s ‘establishment’ and its Repubblika ally as an attack also on the PN’s credibility and “an insult” to the memory of the slain blogger.

Joe Giglio unleashed an attack on Maria Efimova.

One must keep in mind that then magistrate Aaron Bugeja’s 15-month inquiry had concluded that Efimova’s accusations were not only unfounded but also had a forged signature and also concluded that Efimova should be investigated. However, PN exponents have kept trying to keep the ‘Egrant’ fable alive as if Efimova, Caruana Galizia and Busuttil were right instead of dead wrong.

The second political torpedo was fired by FATF members when they decided to remove our dear country from the grey list due to the great and successful progress made in Malta’s fight against corruption, money laundering and other financial crimes, defining Malta’s hard work in this regard as “a success story”.

Can we hope that FATF’s decision will persuade Grech and his Repubblika allies to stop their senseless talk about corruption, money laundering, impunity etc. once FATF has now declared that the Labour government is successfully tackling these problems?

Let’s wait and see but I will not be holding my breath.

Eddy Privitera – Naxxar

Abusing charity

I refer to Martin Bugeja’s letter (May 28). I agree that charities like the Food Bank and the Millennium chapel can easily be taken advantage of. Naturally,  this can happen if people lie about their incomes.

Like Bugeja, I know of at least one person who makes use of both entities and is a single parent being financially sustained by his ex-wife. Moreover, people can also be untruthful about what type of social security benefits they are receiving. 

Sadly, there are people who are really struggling to make ends meet and may not even be aware of such services.

Denise Gauci – Sliema

Doing our best

As I was visiting patients at Sir Anthony Mamo Oncology Centre, the Holy Spirit taught me the following: “It is in doing our best that lies our test.”

Am I really doing my very best to collaborate with God’s grace to let him improve my life? Is this not our continual life test?

Fr Mario Attard OFM Cap – Marsa