I stand to be corrected but I recall Prime Minister Robert Abela declaring recently that he only felt responsible (whatever that means to him) for events that happened in Malta after he became prime minister.
He forgot to remind his audience that he was the legal advisor to his predecessor, Joseph Muscat and attended cabinet meetings.
His claim sounded very hollow to me as he must have been fully aware of went on behind cabinet doors and in the corridors of power for several years.
How pathetic and sad to see the prime minister of my country grovelling, in front of the TV cameras, to offer a long overdue apology to the family of the assassinated journalist, Daphne Caruana Galizia.
The inquiry found that the state (for state I read government) was “responsible for inaction and impunity”.
Furthermore, the learned judges stated that “whoever planned and carried out the assassination did so in the knowledge they would be protected by those who had an interest in silencing the journalist”.
To me, this is a damning statement if ever there was one.
Abela and Muscat both tried to deflect criticism of their behaviour by saying that the inquiry did not implicate them directly in this horrible and despicable chapter in our country’s history.
But that was not the board’s term of reference. To make matters worse, Abela stooped even lower by “offering” compensation. I shall not comment on this aspect but leave the family to make their own decision in all serenity.
How pathetic to see the prime minister grovelling to offer a long overdue apology to the family- Tony Zammit Cutajar
I would add, however, that the thought of offering compensation in these circumstances is symptomatic of the way of life many Maltese have been seduced into.
Money will always get us out of all our problems. The Maltese saying “with money you can build a road in the sea” could well have been etched in the ministerial code of ethics of the Labour governments since 2013.
Everything revolves around BIG money and the country (except the ‘fortunate’ inner circles) is living the growth delusion on a day-to-day basis.
After yet another damming verdict against our government, I don’t believe the country can start the healing process in some semblance of national unity without drastic action, like the immediate resignation or removal of all those who failed in their duty to safeguard the rule of law and allowed people to act with impunity.
Is the prime minister expecting to walk away from all this come se nulla fosse?
Allow me to add my two cents’ worth to this debate. I desperately tried to persuade Muscat to take immediate action the moment the Panama Papers were revealed but it was all in vain. He wouldn’t budge. He wanted to defend the interests of his friends rather than the national interest.
That was, I think, the biggest mistake of his short political career and the start of our country’s race to the bottom.
In December 1986, Dom Mintoff, the last true socialist leader of the Labour Party, referred to the constitutional changes in our voting laws being discussed in parliament as the moment of truth.
Now fast forward 35 years, prime minister. This is your moment of truth. Do you want to be remembered as the prime minister who shirked his responsibility and did not accept responsibility for this horrendous event, rather than the leader who had the courage to take the required drastic action to bring the country back on track?
The choice is yours and yours alone.