We keep hoping that the culture of impunity, nurtured under the watch of former prime minister Joseph Muscat and culminating in the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia, is no longer with us.
The public inquiry into Caruana Galizia’s assassination spoke of the “scandalous” and “disgusting” way in which the forces of law and order failed to act on serious allegations of abuse of power, financial crime, corruption and maladministration.
It does not appear the findings perturbed the government, as attested by comments made by a delegation from the European Parliament’s civil liberties committee who visited Malta last month: “Ending the culture of impunity... requires a cross-party effort to fully and correctly implement the letter and the spirit of all the recommendations of the public inquiry committee, the Venice Commission and GRECO.”
The delegation welcomed a number of reforms initiated or put on the political agenda since its last visit in December 2019. However, it said that most of the recommendations are yet to be implemented or completed. The verdict is unequivocal.
The “web of control” that the public inquiry spoke about again manifested itself in the scandalous case of gaming consultant Iosif Galea. The former compliance officer at the then Lotteries and Gaming Authority, forerunner of the Malta Gaming Authority, is wanted by the police in connection with the leakage of confidential information.
The German authorities, who are also after Galea over suspected tax evasion and financial crime, issued a European arrest warrant last year. The police in Malta failed to set the ball rolling on the European arrest warrant until January. Meanwhile, the Attorney General has so far not provided the Maltese police with the necessary authorisation to arrest Galea. Not so the Italian police, who arrested him on his arrival for a holiday with a group that included Joseph Muscat.
For the record, the former prime minister insists he never had any personal or professional relationship with Galea, who is the partner of Michelle Muscat’s former assistant. Whether a former prime minister should be holidaying with notorious individuals, whether he knows them intimately or not, is a subject for another day.
Today’s front-page story shows a chronicle of errors which led to this embarrassing episode. Whether it’s incompetence or corrupt practices or sheer lack of police resources which led to Galea falling off the radar, the country can ill afford such incidents, especially as it waits to find out whether it will this month be taken off the so-called greylist of untrustworthy jurisdictions. There is also a mounting perception that while the authorities are clamping down harshly on the ‘man on the street’, those with connections in circles of influence remain out of reach for the arm of the law.
"A truly independent, and, preferably, public inquiry would have been more in order given the serious nature of the case"
Why was Galea given permission to travel while on police bail, just days away from the arraignment of the person he is suspected of paying off? Can we put our minds at rest that there was no political interference? The police not only failed to act on a European arrest warrant but even allowed Galea to travel while being investigated over “financial crime”.
Then, once arrested in Italy, they too requested a European arrest warrant. The police first appear to give him their blessing to holiday abroad and then claim he is on the run. An investigation will now be conducted by the so-called Independent Police Complaints Board, which appears to be only ‘independent’ in name. In its latest evaluation report, GRECO noted “no new information has been provided as to the guarantees of independence of the IPCB”.
A truly independent, and, preferably, public inquiry would have been more in order given the serious nature of the case.
Police Commissioner Angelo Gafà can certainly be credited with injecting discipline within the police force but he has still to prove beyond reasonable doubt that he meant what he pledged soon after his appointment: “Names do not impress me. They never did and they will not now. I have always believed that. I am in the force to serve. I am not going to fear anybody.”
The Galea cock-up and the apparent reluctance to act against certain high-profile officials, including former police officers, indicates otherwise.