“Let this be the start of a national recovery from the trauma left by the journalist’s horrific assassination,” President George Vella proclaimed as the Caruana Galizia report was published. The heavy burden of the report’s conclusions had not yet weighed on the head of state.
By his own admission, the president still had to scrutinise its decisions and recommendations. His first reaction, however, was that those recommendations must be respected and implemented.
The report, he emphasised, should be the departure point for national healing.
President Vella listened to what the prime minister and the opposition leader had to say and joined them in expressing his sorrow for everything that had led to Daphne Caruana Galizia’s assassination.
That inquiry found Joseph Muscat’s entire cabinet collectively responsible for their inaction in the lead up to the horrific assassination (assassinju tal-waħx). Conclusion 23 reads: “No member of cabinet can exonerate themselves from the obligation to assert the view that those involved in 17 Black (Konrad Mizzi and Keith Schembri) should have been sacked.”
The board went further: “The inaction of (Muscat’s) cabinet means that all ministers, individually, were supporting the prime minister’s decision and giving tacit approval, if not their blessing, for the culture of impunity Muscat was creating.” “This was an act of grave omission” the report concluded (Conclusion 27).
George Vella was complicit in creating the culture of impunity that, the report concluded, facilitated the ‘horrific assassination’
The board pointed out that ministers decided to look away and failed to demand respect for the rule of law. This, in the eyes of the board, meant that every minister in that cabinet committed . “deplorable illegitimacy” (illeċità ċensurabbli).
A hammer blow followed. Conclusion 27 states: “With the current legislation, such action cannot be sanctioned legally but in a country that respects democratic values, it should carry political sanctions.”
One of the most senior ministers in Muscat’s cabinet was none other than George Vella. Then minister of foreign affairs, Vella did not simply look away. He did not simply fail to demand the dismissal of Schembri and Mizzi after their grimy links to 17 Black were revealed. No, Vella viciously attacked the opposition for demanding action and enabled Muscat’s destruction of the rule of law.
On May 4, 2016, when Marlene Farrugia MP brought a vote of no-confidence against Mizzi in parliament, Vella was there defending the indefensible. He heaped scorn on and attributed bad intentions to those who sought to rid the country of the rottenness that Muscat was harbouring at the core of government.
As Farrugia and the opposition made a valiant attempt to protect the country from the culture of impunity and corruption, Vella was aiding and abetting Muscat’s efforts.
“The opposition is ready to take any advantage to tarnish the government’s reputation,” Vella accused. He turned upon the opposition deputy leader and viciously chastised him for “mentioning the word corruption more than once”.
At the top of his voice, Vella shouted: “I challenge him to mention concrete facts”.
Vella went on to vote in support of Mizzi.
By so doing, Vella committed “a grave omission” and “deplorable illegitimacy” that must now carry political consequences.
Vella was complicit in creating the culture of impunity that, the report concluded, facilitated the “horrific assassination”.
President Vella now mouths platitudes about national healing and expresses sorrow.
That will not suffice.
If the president genuinely seeks healing, he should set the example and implement the one recommendation . he can – Muscat’s ministers should carry the political responsibility of their “grave omission”. For our president it can only be borne through resignation.