Adrian Delia. His name elicits many different reactions. For those who know him, a heart of gold, sharp, hilarious at times, an ability to effortlessly empathise and adapt and a genuineness and authenticity that is endearing and that does him immense credit.

For those who remember, an eventful PN leadership campaign, an even more eventful PN leadership period.

He was strongly opposed by several within the party and the wider community, mostly on rumours, perceptions and prejudice, but not only.

I too did not back him, strongly, and I will not and do not hide from it. Not personal, not prejudice and not blindly, but I did oppose him and a man should always own up to his actions.

As childhood school friends we did not allow it to ruin a deep bond that runs through our veins and we more than spoke about it and understood each other. That, too, is what men should do.

Disagreement and conflict is human and normal. So is debate, discussion and compromise, which lead to healing, understanding and an even stronger bond than ever before.

Friday’s judgment that annulled the infamous Vitals-Steward deal and that ordered the return of three hospitals to the public shocked the nation.

The implications are very clear and the consequences should be inevitable. A greengrocer who failed to file VAT returns was sent to prison. Another greengrocer who ran a rather unorthodox, albeit insignificant scheme was also sent to prison.

Logically, public officials at the time who have been found by the courts to have abusively used huge amounts of public tax monies on a hugely corrupt and criminally infested deal, should face the music. Their status as public officials further aggravates their crimes, as the criminal code clearly states.

It is now in the hands of the competent authorities to drive that home ‘without fear or favour’.

This is meant to be a European democracy, so justice should be allowed to take its course, but there is a limit to patience and it is wearing very thin. We are nearing spring so the cracks on the ice are starting to develop.

The competent authorities should understand that real equality is not only achieved by painting multicoloured zebra crossings, neutralising history and amending laws, commendable and necessary as they were.

That is Adrian Delia at his finest. Sharp, intelligent, perceptive and determined- David Griscti

Real equality can never be claimed in a society where the greengrocers are picked on, made an example of and sent to prison, while those meant to guide and lead us get away with court-declared fraud, corruption and criminality, all the while taunting and mocking the people with manipulations, smokescreens and obstruction of justice.

There can never be equality in a society that is deeply, institutionally, inherently discriminatory about who faces justice and if at all.

That is not equality, that is hypocrisy and the worst case of injustice. Indeed, it is hierarchical racism, a term that perhaps does not exist, even if it should. It fits perfectly.

Justice is also served by being honest, by acknowledging those who deserve it and by thanking them. Delia is the man who had the intelligence, foresight and courage to open the historic Vitals-Stewart court case.

He knew and understood that only the courts could undo what has now been declared by the courts to be a massively fraudulent and corrupt hospitals deal that robbed the nation of enormous amounts of tax monies while leaving genuine citizens to beg the Community Chest Fund and to publicly beg at L-Istrina every year to get public funding to save lives. Adrian was right and he persevered for many years to recover those three hospitals for the nation.

That is Delia at his finest. Sharp, intelligent, perceptive and determined, attributes he used so impressively, attributes that served the nation so well in this infamous Vitals-Steward case.

The least I can do, but also the right thing to do, is to thank you Adrian, personally but also on behalf of all people of goodwill and indeed the nation.

I could have done it privately, with one of the many message exchanges we always have from time to time or in one of our get togethers, but that is the easy way out. Your foresight, courage and determination in this case deserved far more than that.

Thank you, Adrian, as well as the legal team that assisted him, personally and on behalf of a grateful nation. You have our deep admiration and gratitude for a job well done for the nation.

For some things just have to be said… and publicly.

David Griscti is the former president of AŻAD.