Hot news – the bullying coward storms out in a sulk
This morning, the Broadcasting Authority was scheduled to record tonight’s political programme: Alfred Sant fielding questions from journalists.
Sant turned up to find that the journalists included Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando, armed with a press card and representing the Nationalist Party’s media. He turned white, demanded to know what Pullicino Orlando was doing there, and asked the BA representatives to have him removed. The chairman of the BA took legal advice and came back with the ruling that because Pullicino Orlando is a candidate, he couldn’t go on the show unless scheduled to do so, as this would give him unfair exposure to the detriment of other candidates.
Pullicino Orlando stood his ground, and with the cameras rolling, challenged Sant to have the guts (not the best choice of phrase, given the nature of his recent surgery) to say what he had to say to his face. Sant continued to insist that Pullicino Orlando be forcibly removed from the premises. Then he demanded that the police be called to remove him. When this didn’t happen – a shame, because we would have loved to see footage of Pullicino Orlando being strong-armed out of the room by men in uniform while Sant stood gloating on – Sant threw a hissy fit and stormed out in a white rage.
What a coward.
Then he shot to the friendly studios at Super One, where he feels safe on home ground, and with Jason playing Robin to his Batman, he sat grim and whey-faced behind a desk and addressed the nation, giving his reasons why he sulked. It brought to mind the spectacle of him doing much the same thing in the aftermath of 2003 general election, when he more or less said that the people of Malta had done the wrong thing and they would live to regret it (and he wouldn’t, because he still has no regrets).
The BA recording was cancelled. This means that no political programme in the BA schedule will be aired tonight – unless the Labour heavies manage to use a mixture of threats, persuasion and bullying tactics to convince the Broadcasting Authority that the recording should be rescheduled without the presence of a representative of the Nationalist media.
Those of you who are dying to see footage of the whole spectacle, wait for the next NET news bulletin, or watch BondiPlus tonight. Remember that if Sant’s BA programme remains unrecorded, BondiPlus will go on air immediately after the 8.30pm news on TVM.
Ja pufta
Labour’s deputy leader Michael Falzon adds to his reputation as an antediluvian throwback of fireworks, hunting and santi tal-Madonna fil-but. He’s the legal adviser to the Association of Fireworks Factories and goes hunting in Romania, so you can just imagine what we’re talking about here.
Now, to compound his hip, cool and politically correct New Labour image, the Lion of Change has been caught on camera turning to Jason Micallef and saying: ‘Kemm hu pufta u, Lou.’ That’s another clip you can watch on BondiPlus tonight. And of course, he had to go and say it to somebody who’s bisexual.
Labour United – they’re a winning team.
Jenny Pullicino Orlando
Those who haven’t read Jenny Pullicino Orlando’s comment on this blog, please do so immediately. I’ve reproduced it beneath. It puts Sant’s empty words about ‘family values’ (let’s face it – he didn’t have any family values himself, did he?) into their proper perspective. Jenny is one of three children that Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando has with the Labour candidate Marlene Pullicino. The marriage broke down some years ago, but Jeffrey and Marlene remain obviously linked through their children.
As Jenny points out here, Sant the family values man did not even have the decency to inform his candidate Marlene Pullicino that he was about to unleash a horrible attack on the father of her children. More to the point, he was and remains completely indifferent to the fact that his candidate Marlene’s student daughter would suffer in the attack alongside her father, whom she loves and supports.
He is not only a coward, but a man completely bereft of any idea of how family relationships function. To him, families are just a concept – something you read about in books as a theory.
What a despicable man. And a pathetic coward.
Dearest Daphne,
Thank you for shedding a human light on the situation.
I am now at home, unable to attend University in peace, because I know that if I do I will be bombarded with questions. To add insult to injury, Labour journalists are adding me on Facebook, in an attempt to scrounge up some dirt, no doubt. I call for these people to leave me alone, let me be. Let us be. I was enraged when they used your son for political gain. I was also targeted by Super One on the same day- they filmed me for a substantial amount of time, so much so that I was prompted by my friends to stop gesticulating wildly.
Obviously, using clips of me showing public disgust at Sant’s behaviour could not be used on Super One, especially once I put glasses on, which made me look all the more like my mother, a candidate for MLP. Hats off to your son for telling them off! You should honestly be proud of him. The unprecedented lows that they have reached- using children for political gain and infantile propaganda, has only attracted disgust!
I have made it public that I have particular political affiliations. And while I encourage my mother to follow what she feels is right, I have defended my right to an opinion, which she has gracefully accepted. This is in no way an attack on my mother’s credibility as a politician, I think she is a clever woman who can give a lot to the MLP if she is given the chance to so do. No, I was not informed by my mother about the situation, because she seems to not have known anything about it. No, Alfred Sant did not inform my mother. He kept it within an inner circle, ignoring the fact that his candidate’s ex-husband was going to be under fire and her daughter (a first-time voter) would, along with her father, suffer considerably for no apparent reason.
You are not a man of honour, Dr.Sant. Nor are you a Hero. Nor are you capable of running a country. The ‘hamalli’ at University refused to stand by your side- and I was one of them. Your deceitful tactics have jolted you into a low that is yet to be defined. Non, je ne regrette rien? Well Done!
I hope you did not show the same contempt for your own daughter as you have shown to the daughter of one of your candidates! Thanks for making my father the HERO that he now is. I am more proud of him than I ever was.
Thanks again, Daphne
Have a lovely day
Jenny Pullicino Orlando
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Our full support goes to Jeffrey and Jenny…….Daphne keep up the good work you are a great woman……not afraid to speak and to say things how they are…..not like certain cowards…..
Dr Sant is truly an ambitious man. He has now not only reached pit bottom, but is attempting to dig even further beneath. I wont be surprised if we find oil even before the election takes place.
Calling the police to remove a person for calling him to task is conduct unbecoming in a failed Prime Minister who says he wants another turn at the helm. I notice Alfred Sant had no objections to the presence of an AN candidate among the panel of journalists at today’s BA press conference. That kind of undermines his scrupulous stance about not allowing Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando airtime because he is a candidate too.
Surely Alfred Sant could have faced down any question made by any person, particularly Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando, given his strong convictions of wrongdoing in Mistra.
What is Alfred Sant afraid of and what is he trying to hide?
Who is this Alfred Sant !? I am having a psychological trauma….I simply refuse to believe he exists..I am horrified just to imagine he can be the next Prime Minister..Help me God
And let’s remember that the man who cannot face a political opponent whom he accuses of corruption, is the same man who says he will take on the other 26 governments of the EU to renegotiate Malta’s EU accession package.
@ Daphne.. your writing ROCKS!! Well done, and keep up the good work :)
@ Fred.. you rock as well: kudos for the great chicken show you gave up at PBS earlier on today. Truly entertaining.
Is it true that the person whom the Labour Party shouted foul at for asking money to employ people with the Freeport is a fanatic Labour supporter? Saviour Balzan of Maltatoday made his claim and no one has denied it.
Dr Sant and Anglu (l-avukat) made a lot of accusations towards the PN and described it as the Freeport Scandal
Maybe that is the reason why Dr Karl Chircop (MLP MP) did not want to go to the Police Commissioner. Maybe he knew he was a Labour supporter after all! If this is not hypocrisy then what is it??
Shall we call it the MLP Scandal then?
Those voting on Saturday should ask themselves: how would Lawrence Gonzi – or anyone aspiring to lead a nation for that matter – have handled a similar situation?
I can only say one thing about this sad show. It does not change the MLP’s electoral manifesto. Please let us not entertain this desperate attempt of the Malta Labour Party to shift the focus from their pathetic attempt at preparing to lead a country to this undignified mud slinging. I do not care what JPO did with his land I care what Gonzi or Sant will do with my country. I place my trust in Gonzi whole heartedly and not because I am a nationalist but because I am Maltese. Let us stop looking at which government will line our pockets thickest and instead place the well being of our country and the credibility of our country first and foremost. Finally we will get the government we deserve and I daresay that the Labour party in Government will show how stupid we still are as a country.
Today Alfred Sant has showed the nation what a coward and a chicken he is. Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando was right in saying to him………SHAME ON YOU DR. SANT!!!!
May God protect us if he becomes Prime Minister!!!
Yes Dr.Alfred Sant is a coward…but I think you are all blind…..is it his fault that Mr.JPO got an irregular permit to build a club in the middle of nowhere…well I think he has the guts to make it public..is it his fault that strange things are happening in this country? Dont be so afraid of Dr. Sant…..worse than now we cannot be…
I’m not too sure you’re convinced of what you say about things not getting worse. You are hiding your name now. What will you do next week?
Well done ‘Decided 2 days ago’ … I’m guessing you decided that you’ll be voting Labour in 2 days. Upon what conditions? Im asking this because all I’ve heard from the Labour in past four weeks is about how corrupt GonziPN is.
I ask all Labour supporters. How can you all trust a man who cannot stand up to the PN candidate your leader has been mentioning on corruption allegations. How can Sant walk away from JPO? If he really had facts he would have challenged him like any democratic leader would do and would not run along threatening to call the police.
Some leader …
Well why I should hide my name next week?? Ehh cos I forgot li jekk jitla GONZIPN ser jeziljaw in – nies!!! The arrogance you people are showing is unbelievable. Try yourself to get that permit that Mr.JPO got and you will see if its possible.
* Daphne keep up the good work in these last few days before the election!
** What a shame on Dr. Sant to chicken out when he saw Jeffery in front of him!!! How can this person be trusted with our future?
I saw JPO’s outburst as shown on Net TV. The man has shown himself to be totally unfit for politics. If he loses his cool and makes a fool of himself when under pressure, and this without any governmental responsibility on his shoulder, how would he act if he had such a heavy load? As Mrs Caruana Galizia herseld recently said, Alfred Sant should not be expected to be treated with kids gloves if he is in politics, cancer or no cancer. Rightly said. JPO should heed these words and realise that politics is a game for grownups who can take the flak. If he cant stand the heat, he should leave the kitchen.
My take on this is that the draculas at Pieta are using JPO’s good nature, using him to try to pull emotional strings and make people “pity” him being attacked by the “cruel” Sant. The Pieta draculas know that the Broadcasting Authority rules prohibit candidates from participating in the BA broadcasts. Did they tell Jeffrey this when they issued him with a Press Card? Oh, and by the way….a Press Card is issued by the government. Could we be given some details about JPO’s press card? On what basis was it issued? Alfred Sant simply refused to play a game in which the rules are bent. Either we live in a law abiding country , or we do not. But for the PN draculas, rules are there only when they help them in their quest to retain power.
So we are informed through this column that the footage will be shown on PBS tonight. How does the writer of this column know this? Could it be….
Just one message here….the Maltese electorate have shown time and again that they have only one message for those who abuse power…they kick them out. The Maltese have a saying which illustrates their dislike for those who think they can touch the sky…Min joghla hafna, jiehu sabta kbira. The PN ignores this at its peril.
It’s un believable what is happening in this country…Dr.Sant a coward…..but Mr. JPO is a national hero……yes he is…..he baught a land where a permit would not be given because of the area where its situated (So he baught it for just LM12,000) but than abra kadabra….and the permit comes out…and how much did Mr.JPO rent this field?? ….well lets be serious and stop this comedy…..
Dear MArk,
Please do us a favour and spare us from the antics you have been writing on blogs anywhere.
I wonder how you’re claiming that you decided 2 days ago, because you have been writing on ‘The Times’ blog in favour of MLP for ages now….
Or was it a clone of yours? :)
Calm down dude… take life easy
Note to Albert Farrugia.. I suggest you to read JPO’s daughter comment on this same blog.
You might learn some thing or two about human values!
Or was that only active while Dr Sant was in hospital??
I cannot understand all this hullabaloo.
Why is it so difficult for Alfred Sant to accuse Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando face-to-face?
If he is so convinced I see no reason why he can’t tell it in his face. Or is it that the whole saga was a set-up? hmmmm
We’ll only know after the elections unfortuantely.
Truth hurts….. This is the democracy that you all talk about!!! JPO is a part time farmer, a politician, a dentist and now a journalist too!!! lets stop making fun of the electorate….the thing is that Mr.JPO’s image had a big blow and he is trying to do his utmost to recover the most he can till saturday…
[Moderator – on the contrary, I think the electorate is having a wonderful time watching Alfred Sant fumbling around on the PBS kitchen set.]
What a coward!! Dr. Sant was afraid to meet a local MP. Can you imagine him facing 26 Prime Ministers to re-open the negotiation packet?? Hopefully Jason Micallef’s smirk will be wiped off this time next week.
Keep up the good work Daphne!
JPO’s daughter was dragged into this by the author of this diary. Another case of emotional string-pulling. A shame if ever there was one! Yet it is not only JPO who has a daughter. Doesnt the Leader of the Labour Party has a daughter too? Does she go about wailing, writing emails on how sad she feels after each and every column written by the author of this diary? Open your eyes to the dirty game being played here. We have reached the stage when the PN draculas are even throwing children and teenagers on the front line. Notice the schools visits by the Prime Minister. Reminds me of Hitler’s desperate last defence of Berlin when he sent young boys to a certain death in front of the oncoming Russian tanks.
[Moderator – Albert, ‘the front line’? Is Alfred Sant about to annex the Balkan states? Maybe he can march on Berlin armed with a Crosscraft kazzola.]
Albert Farrugia: Jennifer Pullicino Orlando’s comment appears in the same list as your does. It seems to me, as it would to anyone with an iota of common sense, that she wrote it herself because she wanted to do so. Given the dirty treatment meted out to BOTH her parents, including a candidate in Sant’s party, the surprise is that her tone wasn’t a lot harsher.
I see that moderator just cannot bear to keep her fingers off the posts …..
[Moderator – Victor, what can I say? I just love a dialogue with attractive and intelligent young men like you. To boot, I’m not even a woman.]
Are you all forgetting one highly important cliché Dr Sant once uttered: he said; he is ready to team-up even with the devil, if need be, to obtain what he wants! Well, it seems that he’s not that far away anyway!
I just pray and hope he doesn’t drag all of us with him !
I see Victor Laiviera’s moved in to lower the tone. Let’s hope he doesn’t start going on about moats here too.
I hope that someone posts these videos on YouTube ASAP, the one of MLF (Michael Lion Falzon)talking about Lou and the duel inside TVM studios
If anyone would like to go ahead and attack JPO’s daughter, knowing her, I’m sure she’ll tell all you pathetic one-track minded Labourites here to bring it on. Believe me, she’s very much like that; and she will crush all of your arguments with one finger and a lot of brain matter.
Why would anyone want to attack her, Matthew? It’s her father who has the explaining to do, not her – despite the obvious efforts to involve her from those who shpould know better.
Here’s the youtube link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juZcD-RhQeY
As has been reported there was an AD candidate as a journalist – why wasn’t this noted by Bully Sant or the Puppet BA – or is this “law” only for PN journalists???
And these people are still in opposition and only thinking that they might be in power next week – imagine if they are in power.
People think with your heads and not your heart or even worse your noses. A mistake should only happen once – a second time is either sheer stupidity or even worse – showing a masochistic , danger loving streak.
One may or may not agree with JPO’s presence in the PBS studios. People are entitled to their opinion.
However, Alfred Sant’s refusal to look him in the eye and repeat the allegations makes you wonder how true they are . . . .
Also, why does Sant find it so easy to throw allegations about everyone and his dog, and then he runs to his mummy if (a fraction) of his allegations come back to haunt him. It’s basic Karma!
Sant’s reuqest for the police to take JPO out ofthe studios smack of the terrible 1970s and 1980s.
Is this the new beginning? A deja-vu?
Dear Corinne, I’m sorry to ruin your cosy athmosphere – but don’t worry – you can censor me if you like, as has already been done.
[Victor – I didn’t realise my corrections were offending you. As a peace offering, I have left your comment in all its raw, spelling-mistake ridden glory.]
From today’s Times Online:
IMJ regrets granting of press card to election candidate
The Institute of Maltese Journalists said this afternoon that it wanted to express its displeasure at the way the Department of Information had issued a press card to Nationalist MP Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando, therefore making a parody of the journalism profession. This decision, it said, had ultimately led to this morning’s events when a press conference by the leader of the opposition was disrupted.
The institute described the decision by the DOI as unprofessional, especially when, it said, there were several other occasions where the DOI refused to issue a press card to people who had better credentials to serve as journalists than election candidates.
The institute welcomed the ruling by the Broadcasting Authority which made it clear that what happened this morning went against the conditions for the holding of political broadcasts.
It appealed to journalists not to allow themselves to be used as puppets by politicians.
http://timesofmalta.com/election2008/view/20080303/news/imj-regrets-granting-of-press-card-to-election-candidate
I’m sorry to disappoint you Victor, but I won’t be censoring you at all, particularly as I’m not the moderator, administrator or owner of this site. In any case, why would I want to do that? I quite enjoy your nonsense at times. It provides some comic relief
The Broadcasting Authority official told Mr. Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando that he was breaking regulations by his very presence there. It wasn’t a debate but a news conference. I am afraid Mr. JPO was trying to gain unfair advantage on his fellow PN candidates by his presence there. Do you really agree that the Broadcasting Authority should have broken the regualtions or closed an eye just to accomodate a PN canditate? I believe Dr. Alfred Sant was rational enough to leave the studios instead of falling for such provocations. Mr. JPO has already filed his case in court. That is what a democracy entails and not hysterical scenes to win people’s pity.
Ms Borg, you may not have noticed, but there was an AN candidate (Spiteri Gingell) sitting in the row behind Pullicino Orlando, in the guise of a journalist, and no one seemed bothered about his presence – not the Broadcasting Authority, nor Alfred Sant, still less the Institute of Journalists (which like the Committee of Journalists was set up to do whatever it can to miss the point of any issue that comes its way).
Watch the video, and pay attention to Jason’s smile
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upSlME6qus4
In my opinion, both of them shouldn’t have been there. Both of them aren’t journalist making their presence unneeded. Regulations are not meant to be broken. There is ample time to discuss and debate these issues in various situations. NetTV has plenty of good journalists to send and they can still ask the sametype of questions for clarification without having such pathetic tantrums on air. All this story just stains our political image even in the eyes of the EU. Again, I emphasise on the fact that Mr. JPO has already filed his case in court.
You might need to look at this link…. I am more convinced about my comments now…http://www.timesofmalta.com/election2008/view/20080303/news/receipt-shows-pullicino-orlando-informed-of-mistra-application-sant
Dear Mr. Decided 2 Days Ago,
I wouldn’t be too convinced about your comments. The picture clearly says “Certificate of Ownership (B)” and is not a registered letter from MEPA that an application for development on JPO’s land had been submitted!
At least that’s what I’m reading… for all I know, your screen might be saying otherwise… or Alfred Sant claims it to be as such… or it might be a misprint… who knows?
Please come back with substantive facts, I just love putting people like you where you rightly belong.
P.S. I think your cronies might need a reception class, so a good move by Sant to introduce this proposal… if you look at some of the spelling and grammatical mistakes you find in the comments section regarding certain articles, you’d be amazed!
Whoever is arguing here that the issue revolves around the admissibility of JPO as an accredited journalist to the press conference is missing the whole point. The real issue, as I understand it, is the fact that IL-FUTUR PRIM MINISTRU TA MALTA refused to repeat the corruption allegations levelled at JPO in previous occasions in the presence of JPO himself.
Had IL-FUTUR PRIM MINISTRU TA MALTA been confident about his
allegations, he would surely not have left this great opportunity to accuse JPO in person and in front of PBS TV cameras to pass by. The conclusion is simple, IL-FUTUR PRIM MINISTRU TA MALTA is lying and therefore lacks the courage to face the person he is accusing of corruption.
Apparently, the reason given by Jason Micallef for the refusal of IL-FUTUR PRIM MINISTRU TA MALTA to take on JPO was that IL-FUTUR PRIM MINISTRU TA MALTA had further corruption charges against JPO and he (IL-FUTUR PRIM MINISTRU TA MALTA) could not possibly make them with JPO present at the conference. WHY MAY I HUMBLY ASK?
I saw the news and the law states clear that a candidate of a party is not eligible to act as a journalist….Secondly today Dr Sant in another press conference he pulled out all ‘the mud’ and today he even showed it in one if his activities…i think if Dr Sant is not right in what he is saying, i think he is intelligent enough to keep everything for himself
[Moderator – this person is not the Karl Schembri who writes for MaltaToday and is probably using a false name.]
Karl, you’re probably blind and oblivious to the truth then.
Seeing that you posed a question before, I’ll reciprocate now: If Dr. Sant is right in what he’s saying (your bad English and all), then why is he not man enough to face JPO face-to-face, man-to-man?
It’s a very simple question, just like yours was!
dcg – to whom you referred that he is bisexual to jason micallef or michael falzon, cause im wondering how much we have low level of journalism entering into a private life of someone who is public. i think that these guys of all parties still have their private life, and i think that no one has the right to interfere or stating things about their private life…
[Moderator – this person is not the Karl Schembri who writes for MaltaToday and is probably using a false name.]
I can’t understand your last sentence there, Karl. What are you trying to say, that because Alfred Sant is intelligent he won’t seek to gain electoral advantage by lying about his opponents? Sorry, but that’s called a non sequitur.
And if what you say about ‘the law’ – which law, exactly? – is correct, then why are you not objecting to the presence on the press benches of AN candidate John Spiteri Gingell? As chairman of the Journalists’ Committee, have you any idea who he was representing there? Please tell me, as I am dying to know.
So again Karl, and I apologize for repeating what I have already said, why didn’t IL-FUTUR PRIM MINISTRU TA MALTA take JPO on? It makes one wonder how solid is IL-FUTUR PRIM MINISTRU TA MALTA’s case. I must add, that if IL-FUTUR PRIM MINISTRU TA MALTA’s case is as solid as you believe it is, then the fact that he didn’t take the opportunity presented to him and make mincemeat of JPO doesn’t reflect well on IL-FUTUR PRIM MINISTRU TA MALTA’s political nous.
The law you mentioned, as I understand it, guarantees an equal playing-field for candidates coming from the same party. I don’t think the MLP gives a hoot which Nationalist candidate gets elected from the 7th and/or the 11th district.
It’s amazing how people like Jo Said can find comfort in AD, after flirting with and using MLP media for his own gain and vendetta. This proves how much MLP and AD have become one and the same. No wonder that the One News try to put Harry & Co in a good light and have become a medium for AD’s message, trying to woo disgruntled Nationalist votes, knowing that they would never vote Labour. At the same time, AD columnists, are trying very hard, to minimize Alfred Sant’s gaffes in this campaign, although there is a limit to the damage control that they can do, given the extent and the nature of these gaffes. Now We’re at a point where Harry Vassallo does not mention Dr Gonzi by name (last Sunday at the Vivaldi hotel). AD lost all sense of logic and credibility.
MLPAD have become the natural dwelling for people who share a lot of bitterness, hatred and animosity towards people who make it in life. Typical left wing mentality: instead of striving and working hard to achieve better results, they try to destroy other people’s achievements by sowing hatred and appealing to people natural jealousy instincts.
And by the way, Kudos to David Agius for revealing this blackmail and going straight to the police.
When someone is in the political limelight, there is no such thing as protection of privacy. Sexuality is an important aspect of life and if people suppress or hide their sexuality, this might reflect in their public life. What else are they hiding? There is nothing wrong with being heterosexual, gay, bi, or whatever. If one wants to be in the political spotlight, then they should be ready to be put under the microscope. Once one’s sexuality is disclosed, it should not used as a medium of ridicule. It is what it is and people come out stronger if they face the people as they are.
All in all, as citizens, we have the right to know – inside out – who is representing us in an ideal democracy.
writing this from my pda so apologize for misprints. guys, lets not let mlp distract us from the most important issue right now: the best team who can govern us in the forthcoming legislature. on one side we have a polished trackproven party who has spent all its energy into improving and enabling our country to participate, contribute and compete in today’s world. on the other we have another party who has recently revealed its true colours, led by a leader?? who will stop at nothing to crown his desires. as regards the jpo issue, the prime minister did the right thing in starting off an investigation that will shed light and put the matter into the right perspective. lets focus on the main issues that will make our country a better place to live in and stop reacting and playing to the mlp’s games. it cost the country dearly in 1996, and with the same people on the mlp benches we would just be repeating the same mistake by giving them a mandate to govern us.
Just how low can Alternattiva get, these guys are ready to make a coalition with Dr Sant.I haven’t seen Harry pontificating against this corrupt electioneering by Dr Malfoy Sant.
Matthew, if you enlarge that letter you can just make out the text at the top. It is a registered letter certifying that all the owners have been informed about the application for development. And JPO is mentioned specifically.
Will this be censored again, I wonder?
[Victor – no censorship this time because you seem to have discovered that enigmatic ‘acceptable comment’.]
Spiteri Gingell is NOT a candidate.
I have been asking a question on various blogs now, but no one want to answer my simple question. Maybe Victor can.
I am again repeating my question which everyone seems to be avoiding answering me.
Is it true that the person being claimed of corruption re Freeport is an MLP supporter (as Saviour Balzan claimed in the MaltaToday newspaper)? Just keep in mind that Dr Karl Chircop (MLP) representative) on Xarabank claimed that corruption from PN is happening at Freeport.
The Freeport scadal involved a person who asked for thousands of liri from families, promising them a job at Freeport.
If that is not true, why not throwing a libel at Saviour Balzan?
I wait for your reply. maybe you can tell me if it’s a yes or no!
If the answer is yes, then why the hell did your party accuse the PN for the FREEPORT SCANDAL?
Erm …. can you provide a link to where the MLP accuesed the PN about this?
And in which issue of Maltatoday did this appear?
I’m still awaiting a response from Karl Schembri, whoever he may be.
Or is it that Labour people have been instructed specificially by Dr. Alfred ‘Mastro Lindo’ Sant not to answer any questions?
Were you wondering why drugs are not an issue to MLP in this campaign? One News could explain why. See what I found on YOU TUBE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsK_1yuFRsI
Dear Mr Laviera,
You dissapointed me… I thought you read all newspapers… however here it is…
http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/commentary/2902.html
Just cut and copy on your internet and press enter… Then read what Mr Saviour Balzan had to say about the so called PN scandal…. Very interesting reading…
If you want to watch Xarabank, go to di-ve.com and search for past editions and you can easily watch Dr Karl Chircop (LABOUR MP) claiming and boasting about corruption from PN in the Freeport scandal.
Then you can also have a quick look in past editions of The Times and you can read how Anglu the lawyer (Labour MP) and Dr Sant accused GonziPN about the Freeport scandal.
I’ll eagerly await your answer. you might call your Headquarters to obtain the information. They might know one thing or two about the person involved.
Victor Laiviera doesn’t need to read newspapers. He gets the whole story from One News.
What a vile concoction. No wonder it was posted over a nom de plume – cos the author would have ben slapped by so many libel suits he would have had to rent a room at the Law courts.
Viewing what took place in the last few days leading to the MLP’s scandalous claim about JPO gave me a sense of deja’ vu, until I realised that I had already lived through such times in the 70’s and 80’s under the socialist regime of the MLP then. Some Bidu Gdid this is… or should it have been ‘Ser nergghu nibdew mill-bidu ???
The lies and continuous inventions fabricated by the labour camp are tantamount to the same practices used in the 80’s, specifically when they framed an innocent farmer by the name of Pietru Pawl Busuttil for the murder of Raymond Caruana, a crime which shamed not only them but also the police for the way they handled it. Why are we so surprised?
Particularly for the youths, if you are somewhat fed up of the gross lies and manipulations of the truth and bare facts that the MLP has been spinning for the last 4 weeks throughout the campaign (not to mention the preceding 5 years) then just think and understand why people like Daphne and many others are so strongly opposed to the MLP.
Consider waking up daily for more than 16 years (not just the last 4 weeks) to the constant manipulation of the truth on the local media which was then made up only of the MLP controlled Xandir Malta, and listening to the drone of spun stories by the very same MLP and their clan. It was the most disgusting start to the day and the treat we got on the evening news… daily !!! Would it not make your insides churn? Would it not make your blood boil? Would it not give you a bad case of indigestion? Would it not make you want to run and have a break and do your utmost to get down to the truth, to seek facts not fiction?
So young ones and all, if you want to avoid such a daily scenario, please do yourselves and the country a mega favour and vote PN ! It is your only guarantee that you will have peace of mind and security.
The Labour clan’s way of advancing is to pull the people who are better than them down, so that they (the labourites) will get on the same level. Again, that’s their manipulation of the Socialist philosophy to suit their needs.
Labour is driven by greed, envy, jealousy and evil and it is such that they are willing to do anything (including a pact with the devil as per Sant himself) to attain government. Hardly surprising then that they opt to spinning stories, to inventing fictitious scandals and to manipulating the truth to suit their needs, in their undying quest to get hold of the seat of power. It is the only plan they have revealed so far.
So much for direction !
Dear Victor,
Are you claiming that Saviour Balzan lied??
I wonder what vile concoctions Victor is lamenting about..
I read the article. IT IS CLEARLY WRITTEN BY SAVIOUR BALZAN.
What nom-de-plums is he ranting about?
Read it again Mr Laviera. it is spelt very clearly and it is written by Saviour Balzan. I’m not aware of any libels instituted against him yet. Maybe One News told you something about it!
Please keep us posted.
1) The “vile concoction” was a reference to the video clip posted by ESSO.
2) How can anyone sue Balzan, since he did nor mention nat names? If Balzan wants to be taken seriously he should name names and face the consequences.
Mr Laviera
The statement was not made just by anyone or by an anonymous. It was written by an independent journalist.
I suggest you to open the newspaper, for ease of reference its; http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/2008/election_special/election_special_04.pdf
read Page 17
There is something strange about this blog – comments keep appearing and disappearing.
[Moderator – Vic, it’s those damn computers. L-ewwel jiehdu xoghol il-haddiem, imbaghad jiehdu kliemek. Next thing you know they’ll be wearing wigs and making misprints.]
Dear Victor,
That is why I have been doing rounds on blogs to ask. But no one from the MLP dared to answer me.
Since you have close ties with MLP, maybe you can ask them yourself and inform us, poor, common citizens.
If what saviour Balzan is true, then Labour should issue a public apology. Maybe that is why Dr Karl Chircop did not want to go to the Police Commissioner. He found out that his accusations were actually made at his own party rather than the PN. Maybe its more an MLP scandal rather than a PN scandal.
I’ll be eagerly waiting for your reply.
Video clip posted by ESSO? Sorry to disappoint Mr Laiviera, but I didn’t post that clip at all. I found it online, just like anyone else can. Try searching for “super one news” on You Tube and you can see for yourself.
Come on Vickie… the glass house should have told you that the person involved in the ‘Freeport’ scandal has already been caught and taken to court.
All you need to do is ask them what colour is he. I’m sure they know his political affiliations.
Don’t keep it to yourself though. Please do come gossip with us haha haha
Just came across this on You Tube!! hehe
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=EsK_1yuFRsI
Dear Moderator, I only read your comment now! Ok here’s the link of what happened at the PBS studios with Sant’Alfred (the holy one who claimed that he would make a pact with the devil if he had to) and Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upSlME6qus4
It clearly shows how the BA accepted JPO, how Sant called the police
Censored again?
If that’s what turns you on, be my guest.
[Moderator – Victor, my heart is burning for you!]
Dr.Alfred Sant just did’t have the guts and the balls to affront Jeffrey.
Victor Laiviera claims his comments are being censored. I hope that this is untrue. It would be a shame to deprive visitors here of some light comic relief.
Dear Mr Laviera,
Did you manage to get some information about the Freeport scandal please??
Don’t tell me that you don’t want to answer.
Please, i will remain eternally grateful if you could enlighten us.
Awaiting ……
“Awaiting answer”, I have replied 3 times – my comments disappear.
I will try again. When Balza has the guts to name names i may be possibl to stisfy your quwery. No before.
[Moderator – Victor, this is why I don’t normally publish your comments. Are you grunting into a microphone that is transcribing your speech? Or is it just heavy breathing, and should I be worried?]
The police have already took the person to court. So the name is already out!
All you need to do is actually call the glass house and ask someone from the investigative team that they have about his political affiliation.
Balzan did not need to name anyone since the person has already been named in court. All we want from you is to inform us whether he hails from the MLP or PN camp.
Very simple Mr Laviera.
[Moderator – I think the word you are looking for in the MLP’s case is not ‘camp’, but ‘kitchen‘.]
Victor, why are you finding it so difficult to check if the person involved is either a Labour or Nationalist supporter?
I think that the guy that Anglu and Sant mentioned about the Freeport scandal was already taken to the court of justice.
Please give us this information.
Im sure that the moderator would not delete this important information.
Interesting video regarding SUper One journalists!!!
What is the interesting video about one journalists? As far as i heard in that villian youtube video i did not see none of them doing nothing wrong!!! So if my wife is a criminal, it means i am a criminal too?
Hi there Mr Decided 2 days ago… Aren’t you the same Mark Bonello who writes continuously on various blogs in favour of Sant and his party?
And you want us to belive that you are a floating voter!!
Floating voter indeed! Go tell that to the marines.
Who knows maybe you’re one of the elves :)
Havent I got the right to write in favour of Dr.Sant? Oh my I forgot we are in a democratic country as long as you agree with GONZIPN…
[Moderator – Mark, no one is questioning your right, they’re only questioning your motive.]
My dear Mark,
I was not quering your right to write here.
All I requested is not to give a false impression that you’re a floating voter, when in reality you’re not!
Even your nom-de-plum is misleading! You should change it to “Decided 2 decades ago”
c ya ;)
Well sorry to disappoint you but I voted PN last election but as many will not do it this time….The arrogance, intollerance around is something that the diehards do not feel…well floating voters, believe me they do as I do…
[Moderator – sorry Mark, it’s too late now that you’ve gone and spelt intolerance badly. Elf, the grotto beckons.]
Mr Benny Abela and “answers” – I answered twice (or 3 times)and was censored each time.
[Moderator – Victor, listen here you evolutionary misprint. I think you are deliberately filling your posts with mistakes and constructing sentences in such a way that no one can understand them, then crying censor when I delete them. Do everyone a favour and get to the point if you want what you say to be posted.]
Funny how a certain AN candidate was allowed to stay among the journalists at the press conference…
Is the law the same for all? Apparently not.
Check this posting for important information:
http://gamesroom.di-ve.com/showpost.php?p=256910&postcount=893
[Moderator – eyesonly, you’ve made my day. Direct link to image showing John Spiteri Gingell is an AN candidate.]
Mark Bonello floating voter! ha ha ha ha ha
Go tell it 2 d marines ;)
YOU ARE ONE OF THE ELVES!
Yes it’s too late since i will not vote GONZIPN this time…I think the time is over….Keep up the good work moderator….with your style you will definately grab more voters for your party!!
[Moderator – Mark, I am a computer – I have no style. Another elf giveaway: ‘definately’.]
Dear Victor,
Someone on another blog must have had a Freudian slip and admitted that the person involved in the Freeport scandal might be a fervent Labour supporter after all!
Maybe that was the reason why One Tv and l-Orizzont suddenly stopped their crying on the issue.
What about all those workers who have lost thousands of liri with that Labour supporter? Who will repay them back?
The MLP should ask for a public apology! Maybe you could do it in their name.
SHAME! SHAME! SHAME!
Finally someone had the guts to name the guy!
Prosit Daphne. Thanks for your courage.
What do you say now Victor Laviera?
A public apology is awaited.
SHAME ON MLP – MLP FREEPORT FRAME UP
Most interesting after Dr Sant made it clear that he does not rate our Commisioner of police,he considers him as a smokescreen, guess what, today he went to the Com.of Police. Come on like us be serious, as always today he says one thing, and the day after he says another thing!
But more serious Dr. Gonzi, has shown us how credible he is, as stated by Dr.Sant himself, the com. of Police already had a report from Dr. Gonzi.
Do we need say more, shame on MLP.
This is interesting
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsK_1yuFRsI
I wonder how Alfred Sant will tackle the Eurocrats in brussels to re-negotiate the acsession treaty, when he did not even have the guts to fact Pullicino Orlando in a debate….
Make me wonder, whether he will call the police to escort the eurocrats out of the room then …
JASON… what exactly was he smirking at in the midst of all the commotion at PBS ? Was it the ridiculous sight of his master standing before the crosscraft kitchen set or was it the satisfaction of knowing that Dr Pullicino Orlando wasn’t going to get the answers he was there for? Will Jason still be smiling when we get the answer to Amanda Ciappara’s (still as yet unanswered) question as to whether electricity bills will rocket up? So far the only answer we’ve heard is “is-sercarg jitnaqqas bin-nofs!!”
I notice that many people believe that Alfred Sant’s behaviour at the BA press conference was acceptable. Maybe that is why he believes he can behave in such a manner with impunity.
People who think Sant’s behaviour is acceptable are not familiar with the internationally accepted protocols of press conferences. I have attended several and have never seen a situation where ANY prospective speaker asked for the removal of a member of the audience and called for the police to ensure that it happens, much less a speaker who is a would-be and has been Prime Minister.
There have been many occasions when speakers at press conferences faced a challenging audience knowing their every move and word would be broadcast around the world. That is exactly what they did. They faced their audience and they took their questions. They didn’t split hairs over whether those questioners had a right to be in the room, they didn’t call for the police to remove the people they didn’t like, and they didn’t evoke the letter of the law to back up their presumption that they do not need to respond to questioners they don’t like.
It matters little who mentioned the police first in this row. What matters is that would be Prime Minister Sant expects the police to help him silence an opponent.
It is sinister that institutions set up to ensure free and fair information fail in their mission because of pressure from a would be Prime Minister.
A post bullt on a totally false premise Corinne – that JPO had the slightest right to be there. He didn’t – and the worrying part is that the PN thought it could disrupt a scheduled press conference on national TV as part of its damage-limitation exercise. That is the worrying part.
I am an elve too…with a vote even :)
[Moderator – it’s ‘elf’. Now hurry on back to your grotto before Santa gets back.]
While not being sure about voting earlier on in the campain, after seeing what happened with Jeff Pullicino Orlando i can’t remain passive.
It is personal, Un founded attacks like these which make me want to keep sant out of power. If only every politician was half the man Jeff is…
Keep it up Daph.. freedom of speach at its best
by the way, i’m a Hamallu who booed sant and asked him to shut up… AND PROUD!
Well done Daphne,
I enjoy your Sunday articles though I don’t agree with you when it comes to illegal immigrants. I’m a patriot not a racist but let’s leave that issue now. I read Jenny’s letter and I empathise with her.To all those who are finding excuses for Dr.Sant I remind them the pre-election of 1996 when he kept throwing mud at people to distract voters from the sense of peace and wellbeing created by the PN. Does anyone remember Marin Hili??? He was depicted as a most horrible monster grabbing all the big contracts of these islands…..then when Sant was in power Mr.Hili was not heard of again. We expected him to be sent to life imprisonment for his corruption. Those who are my age are saying “here we go again” This time it’s Jeffrey’s turn but there’s one thing the MLP miscalculated that with his Travolta advert they are drawing people to vote for him – he’s so cute!
Andrew I hope that you recognise the irony of applauding freedom of speech (i) on a blog that only allows comments that agree with the author’s point of view, and (ii) following up your applause with a proud statement that you tried to shut somebody else up.
Your claim to having been undecided earlier in the campaign and only having changed your mind following the JPO saga is also somewhat hard to swallow when you were booing and shutting AS up on 18 February.
[Moderator – Justin, how did you reach the conclusion that no posts which are in disagreement are allowed? Because Victor il-professur tad-demokrazija told you? You aren’t seeing any because no one is posting any, apart from someone claiming to be Karl Schembri, and a couple of elves here and there. I don’t think there’s any value in posting racial slurs and threats of violence, but if you do, you’re at liberty to browse the FKNK forum.]
Victor Laiviera: No, the premise of my argument is not Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando’s right to attend a press conference, though that is not a false premise even though you believe it was. The event in question was a press conference, not a private dinner party at someone’s home.
The premise of my argument was and is that Alfred Sant wants to be Prime Minister but he refuses to take questions when they make him feel uncomfortable or if they do not suit his agenda. Rather than address a question he finds unpleasant, he prefers to ignore the questioner or remove the person from his presence.He demonstrated this attitude yet again yesterday by asking for a political opponent to be removed from his presence.
Alfred Sant is accustomed to chairing his own press conferences which means he can choose to ignore a questioner he does not like. In yesterday’s press conference he was the speaker, not the chairperson, so he could not have adopted the same tactic.
I will repeat what I said in my earlier post: I have NEVER attended a single press conference where a speaker asked ANYONE to leave the room, particularly not under police escort.
I dare say I’ve attended far more high profile press conferences than this particular one on far more occasions that you ever have.
Please don’t ridicule yourself further by trying to persuade anyone that Sant’s behaviour is acceptable.
‘[Moderator – Justin, how did you reach the conclusion that no posts which are in disagreement are allowed? Because Victor il-professur tad-demokrazija told you? You aren’t seeing any because no one is posting any, apart from someone claiming to be Karl Schembri, and a couple of elves here and there. I don’t think there’s any value in posting racial slurs and threats of violence, but if you do, you’re at liberty to browse the FKNK forum.]’
In view of evidence to the contrary I’ll have to eat some humble pie and take my first few words back. Thanks Daphne.
[Moderator – thanks for understanding, Justin.]
Dear Victor Laviera, it is excruciatingly simple: IF YOU CAN’T STAND THE HEAT, GET OUT OF THE BL***Y KITCHEN!
You may like to pass on the message to Sant…. I don’t speak to people like him….
to karl schembri of malta today, skuzani ma ghandiex aptit nikteb bl ingliz ma nahsibx li karl schembri wiehed hawn f’malta hux habib :) DCG why all this hate to Dr Sant and all these adjectives to them, i think if our level of journalism is high standard i think that this something unacceptable for both parties, i dont side any particular party i think we are all catholics and i think that we are still brothers and sisters in this island….
[Moderator – this person is not Karl Schembri, his real name is Johann. Another elf, I’m afraid. Johann, why all this secrecy? What have you got to hide?]
Justin: Thank you for your intervention – it seems to have worked. And no, you don’t have to eat any pie, humble or otherwise.
Anthony The adage “If you can’t stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen” applies perfectly to JPO – with the addition “and don’t start any bonfires”.
Andrew: The allegations against JPO, far from being unfounded, have been fully proven and documented.
Corinne: I see that the inability to debate and argue without descending to personal invective is a family trait. I will not reciprocate.
I can well believe that you have “NEVER attended a single press conference where a speaker asked ANYONE to leave the room, particularly not under police escort.” And the reason is that is unprecedented for an mp/dentist/part-time farmer to suddenly discover that he is also a part-time journalist in order to disrupt a press conference on national TV.
BA decisions have the force of law – so whoever does not abide by them is breaking the law. The last time I checked, law-breakers are dealt with by the police.
Now let me ask you a question? What in your opinion, does JPO want to say face-to face that he can’t (or wont) say in a press conference, or even a statement on NET TV? Do you realise that, in all this hullabaloo, he has no brought forward ONE SINGLE argument to back up his claims that he knew nothing about this project?
JPO just wants a big fight and screaming match on TV to try to make a case on emotional grounds – coos he knows he has no chance of winning on factual grounds.
But Victor, my friend, you still won’t comment on why Cowardly Custard Freddie doesn’t want to face him man-to-man! If these allegations are documented and proven, then Mr. Mastro Lindo has nothing to hide, does he?
I could bet you as well that if you had to put me, a 19-year old, in a debate vs. Freddie, I would probably beat him hands down! Make that applicable to anyone with some form of intellectual capacity actually…
Are you voting next Saturday? You’ll find instructions here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWJf7Y2HvCs
How unbelievably vain and tiresome Victor Laiviera is, judging by his posts here. There is no personal invective in my posts. It is only vanity that makes him read them that way.
In my last two posts I mentioned my experience of attending several international press conferences. I did so because it underpins what I have to say on this matter, not to score points over Victor Laiviera, as he seems to think.
I stand by what I said. It is NOT acceptable under any circumstance for a speaker at a press conference to ask for a person to be evicted from the room. The only time this is acceptable is when that person poses a security risk. A threat to life and limb is a security risk. A challenge to accusations of corruption is not. There are no two ways about this. I did not mention this exception earlier as I took it to be self-evident. Given Mr Laiviera’s obstinacy, it appears I was wrong.
Victor Laiviera, as others do, keeps arguing about Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando when the spotlight is shining the other way. If Alfred Sant gets his way, Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando will be out of the political scene and Alfred Sant will be Prime Minister. That is why Sant’s behaviour is the central issue in this dispute. To Sant’s fans, his behaviour is heroic. To others it is sinister. Perhaps even Sant’s fans know this: their only defence of Sant in this matter is to say that his political opponent was in the wrong.
It was Sant’s behaviour, and not Pullicino Orlando’s presence, that disrupted the press conference. Sant the would-be Prime Minister believes it is his prerogative to decide who can say what and when. That is a dangerous belief that Sant’s fans would have us all sanction.
It is, was, and should remain the moderator’s prerogative and responsibility—and not the speaker’s—to manage a press conference. Alfred Sant knows this, which is why he normally moderates his own press conferences, an arrangement that enables him to ignore questioners he does not like.
In the many international press conferences I have attended, there have been several occasions when members of the audience included people who are not journalists.
Many times the open hostility between speakers and people in the audience was known and visible beforehand.
On several occasions, speakers faced questions that caused them great discomfort and embarrassment during press conferences that were being broadcast live on global TV networks.
There have been numerous occasions when a journalist’s existence—not mere presence in the press conference room—was considered by a speaker to be a personal affront and abomination.
I could extend that list, but that will do for now.
NEVER in any of the situations I mention did any speaker refuse to take to the podium unless a member of the audience was first evicted, particularly not under police escort. And if any such request had been made, the press conference host, not just the moderator, would have refused to comply.
You see, when the world’s media are watching, a sensible speaker faces with good grace any challenging question, however hostile, rather than refusing to take any questions at all.
And here, in tiny Malta, with only the local media watching, would-be and has-been Prime Minister Sant could not face up to a political opponent and so he asked for him to be removed under police escort.
Evidently Sant thinks that it is normal and acceptable to silence opponents. Otherwise, camera savvy as he is, he would not have called for the person’s removal under police escort while the local TV cameras filmed his every gesture and word.
Hi Matthew – I’m trying to remember what it feels like to be 19 again. I envy you. But take some advice from an old-timer – avoid the cheap shots like “cowardly custard” and “Mastro Lindo” They only serve to cheapen your arguments and stop people from taking you as seriously as they should.
And the answer to your question is that no good could possibly come out of such a debate. It is clear by now that JPO has no answer to the facts as revealed by the MLP. If he had, he would have published them by now, and not wait for the “debate” that may never come. After all, the election is only hours away. So it is crystal clear that all he wants is a confrontation on the emotional level. And Sant is right to refuse to play that game.
Since you are 19, you probably don’t remember much about the 1998 elections, so let me tell you the story of Freddie Portelli. He was a labour minister. Shortly before the election, the then PN leader Fenech Adami “revealed” a big scandal (called the Lay Lay case) about him. Portelli was crucified in the PN media and the so-called independent press. IN vain he protested. Nobody invited him to be present when the allegations were made. He was given no chance to debate or confront his accusers. He was not re-elected.
Later, much later. the courts found that he was completely innocent and his accusers were found guilty of libel and fined. But it was much too late for him.
So all these crocodile tears about JPO are just an example of sheer hypocrisy. He chose to play the political game and he has to play by political rules.
Dear Corinne, your long(ish) post can be aswered in just one sentence.
In all the occasions you mentioned, the participants were pobably all bona-fide journalists, not part-time farmers masquerading as part-time journalists in order to gain an advantage.
May I add a question? If you follow this link:
http://www.doi.gov.mt/EN/forms/PCrenewalform2008.pdf
You will find the form one has to fill in to obtain a press card. You will note that someone had to sign as “employer”. Is JPO really employed as a journalist? Could that signature ever be genuine?
Are you aware that entering false information in a Gov form is a CRIMINAL OFFENSE?
When one finds oneself in a hole, the first thing to do is to stop digging.
[Moderator – Victor, the Pravda went down with the Soviet Union. Freelance journalists do exist, you know. And I once attended a press conference with Cherie Blair in the audience. Is she a bona fide journalist?]
Behind enemy lines…..Dr.Gonzi should be responsible if PN loose election…where are all the others? Kollox hu!!!
[Moderator – John, what are you trying to say?]
Victor Laiviera: Your non-sequitur can be answered in a couple of sentences, including this one.
In all the events I mentioned many of the participants were not journalists and their varying motivation for being present was central to the point I made: No one asked for their removal from the room, much less called for a police escort to make sure it happens.
Dear Victor,
You had the time to asnwer everyone in this blog! Except me?
Are you maybe trying to boycott me socially?
Or you haven’t managed to get an answer yet???
Still awaiting for your reply…
10q
Victor, Corinne is too self-effacing to tell you this herself, but for the last few years she has worked in the press centre of every single major meeting of the World Economic Forum in various parts of the globe, including the Davos meeting every January. Believe me, she knows exactly what she’s talking about, because the press conferences she helps organise feature people far more prominent than Alfred Sant: Bill Gates, Tony Blair, that kind of thing. Incidentally, this blog’s moderator (who is not Corinne) also worked in the press centre at the World Economic Forum Davos meeting last January, detailed to Bloomberg TV. It’s all a far cry from Malta’s sterile Broadcasting Authority televised ‘press conferences’. You need to widen your horizons a bit.
Yes, Victor. And while you’re hacking away at the coalface of truth searching for answers please keep an eye open for partnership debris that wasn’t separated at source. You haven’t answered that question either.
Well, bully for her. Why doesn’t she tell us about the security arrangements at that kind of press conference and what chance someone sporting a fake press card obtained under false pretences would have of getting in?
“Awaiting” I don’t really knowe what you are waiting for. Enlighten me.
[Moderator – Victor, I think we have established that the press card was A) not fake; B) not obtained under false pretences (I think the people who authorised that card know who Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando is). Please stop going round in circles.]
If they knew who he is that means they knew he is not a journalist.
Therefore he had no right to a press card.
[Moderator – Victor, jaqaw il-gurnalisti ghandhom xi haga fid-DNA? If you have to attend a press conference to become a journalist, and you can’t attend a press conference because you are not a journalist, how do you become a journalist?]
Hahaha, nice one Daph, apparently you really did uncover Johann under the impersonation of Karl Schembri, seeing as he did not contradict you!
Congrats, call me if you need any defence against bomb threats (even though im no expert).
Your guts have earned you some admiration!
I also enjoyed all the elf/elve/elves saga. Imagine elves who can’t even write elf!!!
You really are tiresome, Mr Laiviera. Are you now saying that Alfred Sant’s press conference – the one he aborted, not the one he gave – is of global significance?
You know, there’s another global comparison you could make: there is another place where the Great Leader does not answer unfriendly questions. It’s called North Korea.
Mr Laviera,
Why are you ignoring my question?
Is it true that the protagonist in the Freeport scandal was a Labour supporter??
Please ANSWER
Mr. Laiviera,
Please don’t patronise us. Unlike Matthew I am not 19, I’m 63 and I well remember your saintly Freddie Portelli. Too well in fact.
Has the MLP run out of haloes?
It was not me who mentioned ptress conferences “of global sifnifcance”. But press conference at any level – as their name implies – are occasions when the press gets to ask quesiuonsa. The press – not people masquerading as journalists for ulterior motives.
Why are you all on and on, on each other. Everyone has an opinion… everyone should honour and respect each and everyones opinion, being labour, nationalist or whatever. By sunday we will know what the public wants and we should all be happy and honour the decision of this PUBLIC. So what are you all on about being personal and attacking each other all the time. Life is too short to live so miserably.. Cheer Up Guys… Unless you are all getting a big chunk from this government… why worry…..
@ Corinne Vella
Let me start off by saying that I fully agree with your arguments. Allow me to add something to your last post.
In addition to North Korea, Russia’s former President (and now Prime Minister elect) appears to have a complex against people which are unsympathetic towards his policies. Though his approach with them is pretty different, yet still more active than “simply ignoring their questions”. Usually notable anti-Putin dissidents get shot or poisoned (see Anna Politkovskaya, Pavel Klebnikov, or more recently Alexander Litvinenko). Of course “thorough investigations” follow, yet incidentally no connections between the murders “per se” and Vlad the great were ever established… But then that’s typical from a philo-communist country…….
The link between North Korea’s Great leader, the Russian President and our beloved wig is twofold: 1) I’m allergic to their leftist tendencies (which, imho, thy are so left that they run off the map), and 2) they all loath unfavorable press.
With luck, Malta’s finest “chicken run Sant” won’t reach the stage where he tackles journalists the way his leftist counterparts do. Oh God, that would be trouble….
*shivering with fear*
—
@ mod. I’m fully aware that I might have pushed way behind the line… Feel free to “cut off” from my post, if you feel the need to do so.
Can someone tell me why Sant objected to Pullicino Orlando taking part in the press conference he (Sant) walked out on, whilst he did not object to being questioned by Mr Gingell (an AN candidate) during the press conference he (Sant) actually did give the next day? Just asking!
Mr Spiteri Gingell is NOT an AN candidate.
Victor Laiviera: You drew a comparison between the BA press conference that Alfred Sant ran out of, and the ones I referred to in my earlier posts, hence my question to you.
You seem to think that the BA’s rules are there to protect speakers from facing questioners they do not like. That is consonant with a belief that press conferences should be organised solely for speakers to get their message across and a mindset that belongs behind the iron curtain.
@ Mr Laviera
Kipling wrote:
I keep six honest serving-men
(They taught me all I knew);
Their names are What and Why and When
And How and Where and Who.
A journalist is a person who tries his best to answer the above, every time. A press card is a simple tool to attain that particular end by identifying that the holder has accreditation. It does not bestow on the holder superhuman intellect, it is just a pass.
Sant goofed badly when he refused to face JPO down. He threw mud, and by refusing to face JPO, lost credibility, and indirectly weakened his case against JPO.
You’re right Vanni.
Even more than that, JPO is now the talk of the town and it is very obvious that this whole Sant charade has ended up drumming up support for JPO who is being compared to David against the Goliath which is Sant.
My ears on the ground tell me that constituents are now encouraging each other to vote no 1 JPO firstly out of a sense of solidarity with someone who was not given a fair chance to defend himself by his accuser and secondly so as to prove Sant wrong for the umpteenth time.
The saying of what goes round comes around has probably never had such a chance to prove itself.
I’m interested to know what your mum has to say to all of this, Jenny. Sant may have opted to do what he did to your dad without telling your mum, but that’s Sant and that’s all there is to it. Let people be the judge of his antics. But what of your mum, Jenny? How does she react to all of this? Which comes first to her – the party or the daughter? Surely, she must have AT LEAST given Sant a telling off on her mobile… or does she intend going the whole hog and resign? Or is it a case of, ghal poter naghmlu kollox!!!!
Spiteri Gingell is an AN candidate in the 11th district, get it Mr.Laiviera?
[Moderator – the point is moot. You can’t withdraw your candidature once the ballot sheets are printed.]
Charles Spiteri: It’s unfair to address Jenny Pullicino Orlando about this matter at all, particularly in that manner. Why should she be called on to answer for what her parents do? I detect an ugly note in your comment – you seem to be gloating at her suffering. I think she’s suffered already. You seem to think she hasn’t suffered enough.
Instead of throwing mud on candidates, I’m still waiting to see a new Labour. A party that says that it will bring a new beginning by bringing new ideas to our beloved Malta. A party that starts talking about concrete issues and implementations. A new beginning without clashes and lack of communication with the media.
The best new beginning should begin with a new MLP leader.
Yes together, everything is possible!
Moderator, I would like to add another note.
We, normal people, are made to pay all fines that we receive – tax fines, VAT fines, traffic fines, etc. We can dispute them of course, in front of a tribunal or court. Harry Vassallo is claiming that he couldn’t pay a Lm6,000 fine, because he only earns Lm400 (a month?). Well, I am lost for words here. I hope that NOBODY (and I am not referring to anyone in particular here) expects to do away with fines and be above the law because of the role they play in society, be it a priest, politician, public civil servant, etc.
Excuse me if I sound angry.
[Moderator – not angry at all; my sentiments exactly, in fact.]
Spiteri Gingell IS A CANDIDATE
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
http://www.independent.com.mt
AN’s 10 candidates, apart from Dr Muscat and Mr Xuereb, and the districts they are contesting are:
Paul Salomone 1st and 12th
Kenneth Zammit 2nd and 3rd
Pierre Cutajar 2nd and 3rd
Tonio Mercieca 5th and 9th
Charles Attard 6th and 7th
Malcolm Seychell 4th and 8th
Philip Beattie 9th and 10th
Antonio Bartolo 11th
John Spiteri 11th
Mary Gauci 13th District, Gozo
Dear Stephen Azzopardi , by concrete issues do you mean more Building and construction works, and trench diggers , sorry ditch excavators , around the harbour area?
Why is ” Il-pjan ghal bidu gdid ” hardly mentioned in this campaign?
If you want to sample MLP before voting for the first time , come over to Zurrieq and then compare it to places like St Julian’s or Attard.
Here our MLP council insulted the whole population of Zurrieq stating that we are not able to sort paper from glass. While our primary school earned the Green Flag for the environment.
We have to go to nearby Safi to dispose recyclables properly.If you have a look at the candidates being presented to us by the MLP , you may have a hint how low MLP will stoop to garner an extra vote.
Wrong Catherine, Spiteri withdrew his candidature. Check http://www.doi.gov.mt for full list of candidates.
[Moderator – Gerald, candidatures cannot be withdrawn once the ballot sheet is printed.]
Dear Daphne may I call this running commentary “The ‘elve’ Trap”
I know it’s “elf”.
Happy Birthday ,dear moderator!
I hope you all, including the owner of this site, now speak with the same tone, in favour of the children of Harry Vassallo!
Harry’s kids are innocent. I feel that Harry has been used, throughout the whole electoral campaign by the MLP, and thrown out at the right time, for Sant to get elected.
This is a typical example of ‘the enemy of my enemy is my friend’ theory of convenience, gone definitely wrong.
[Moderator –
Death and Life-in-Death have diced for the ship’s crew, and she (the latter) winneth the ancient Mariner.
]
Mr/Ms moderator, how come the DOI site shows only Anthony Bartolo and Angelo Xuereb as AN candidates for ther 11th District? (http://www.doi.gov.mt/EN/elections/2008/General%20Elections/eleventh.asp)
And how come the Gzira ballot papers were reprinted after Rizzo’s sad demise?
[Mr Moderator – the point is moot. The debate here is, ‘Was Alfred Sant a Cowardly Custard?’ As far I know, you are the only one arguing in the negative.]
Being in a minority of one has never bothered me – as long as I know I’m right.
@ Mr. Laiviera
That is precisely the problem, you are NOT right.
I would like to share a quote with you if I may:
The ability to delude yourself may be an important survival tool.
Jane Wagner
However, I am glad that at least you seem to have accepted that AS was wrong in his dealings with JPO (I take it that your lack of comeback on the matter is tantamount to you hoisting the white flag?)
Mr Victor Laviera,
Spiteri Gingell is a Candidate, I can fully prove to you that he is an AN candidate, Gingell is one of my relations and we meet very often, He is still an AN candidate so please get your facts right instead of being like Alfred Sant and just yelling out accusations and stories which are far away from the truth.
Also to relate to the fact of JPO, if Sant has all the proof and all the facts, why is it such a problem for him to face Orlando? Come on lets be realistic here, Sant is realised that he has no way in winning this election so he is trying everything in his power to grab on to a piece of straw as he is sinking, he ha no credibility, Laviera you will get your Answer on Saturday when the votes Show 51% majority to GONZI, he is a true and honest leader,
Viva Gonzi.
Laurence Tanti
Yeah, right.
Have a look at this:
http://www.timesofmalta.com/election2008/view/20080306/news/mlp-says-mistra-contract-bears-pullicino-orlandos-signature
Vanni, Sant was 101% right in the way he dealt with JPO.
“Vanni, Sant was 101% right in the way he dealt with JPO.”
At least he lived to fight another day. Hooray, maybe you are right after all. Would have been a shame to lose the boss in a face off, and this just a couple of days before the great day.
Maybe AS was right after all. Mind you, we all know he is just prolonging the agony of his political demise.
http://www.maltastar.com/pages/msrv/msfullart.asp?an=19419
[Moderator – Lexy posted the whole article, but I’d rather you just used the link. I don’t normally tolerate ‘hit and run’ comments like this one, but if I didn’t you’ll all start banging on about censorship/hollow earth/reptilian humanoids.]
Apologies for that moderator. I got a little carried away!
It is actually a good idea to follow the link – the article includes scans of the contract in quetion, including signatures.
I am saddened and disgusted by this affair. It is not only the hypocrisy of the whole deal that bothers me, but also the total disrespect for the people who live in the area (can you imagine what people in Xemxija are going to go through with music blaring till 4am!) and also the destruction of our environment.
I am a believer in progress. God knows this country has advanced dramatically in the last 20 years. But surely, the price for this progress does not have to be our environment?
I believe that the whole country should be concerned about what is happening to the few beautiful green areas left on this island!
Joe Grech Attard – Why come out of the woodworks now? To Keep Laiviera company, I would presume.
Bear in mind that it was, after all, Harry Vassallo himself who created this mess in the first place, and who subsequently dragged his family into it. He should have thought about their interests before those of his party.
I have been analyzing the election campaign closely and I think that this mud slinging will have little effect if any on the electorate. The real issues are which party guarantees that we continue in the direction we have started on. I am personally pre-occupied with the possibility of corruption in the present administration. However, when I compare what Labour is promising as opposed to what PN has done so far as well as what they are promising I see a sharp and clear contrast. I fully support the plan that this government had made a long time ago to point this country to producing a knowledge based economy. Setting our sights to excellence in ICT, Financial Services and areas like e-gaming has already proven to be lucrative for the country and in my opinion this is the way to go. Admittedly, Dr. Sant has not said that he and his party will not continue on this path, but I have my doubts as to how capable his team are at pursuing these goals. What amazes me about Dr. Sant is how he can put his foot in it time and time again. Did he really have to oppose the Smart City development for example ? Didn’t he realize the little political advantage he could have gained from this would backfire if the project is as good for the country as I think it is going to be ? What do the thousands attending ICT courses under the My Potential scheme have to say about this ? Are they all PN supporters ? And what about the VAT/CET fiasco ? I am a small businessman and I was there when this happened. I was there at that famous meeting in the Marquese Scicluna Hall at the Trade Fair when Alfred Sant could not answer half our questions on how the CET system would work . It was a big hassle for all of us in business to first switch to VAT, then have to switch to CET and the back to VAT, not to mention the cost for the country! This is when he lost me totally. I can never forgive him for that one. I remember clearly the sheer bewilderment that I was feeling that day when I had to go back to my office and explain to my employees that on certain issues we would have to wait. We had to tell our clients that the PM has to give us a reply and we cannot supply our product/service before that. This was all because Mr. Harvard Education decided to disregard the collective experience of the EU 15 and invent his own system. The trouble with Alfred is that he does not discuss policies before he makes them public and then its too late. I have had the opportunity to meet him several times and he always comes across as a condescending know-it-all that does not trust anyone’s judgment except his own. This is why he fails so miserably time and time again. A good leader should know that when making policies the first thing to do is to discuss with people who are in the know. I could go on and on about why I would not trust Dr. Sant but I have a day of reflection to endure so I must be brief. I have faith in the Maltese people and I think that in spite of the PN’s shortcomings Monday will be business as usual.
It is quite clear that JPO knew about the project and that his allegations before the general election surely favoured him for a post with the PN party and subsequently parliament. At this stage I would like his daughter Jenny to comment on these facts since at the time she had written quite an explicit article on how ashamed Dr. Sant should be on the allegations made in regards to her father…… it seems that at the end of the day ‘iz-zejt tela f’wicc l’ilma!!’
Karl Borg: Jennifer Pullicino Orlando’s “explicit article” was actually an expression of gratitude to Daphne Caruana Galizia for publicly acknowledging how cruelly unfair Alfred-champion-of-profamily-policy-Sant’s stunt was on the daughter of one of his own party’s candidates.
Whatever your feelings on the matter, and whatever the facts of the case, Jennifer Pullicino Orlando should be left well alone. She is not responsible for the actions of either of her parents. More to the point, while she has every right to comment, she is not obliged to do so.
In seeking a villain in this piece, you should turn away from a blameless young woman to the man who started it all. Alfred Sant’s allegation against Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando was that bribery was involved in the Mistra case. That allegation was not substatiated. Jennifer Pullicino Orlando says that her mother, MLP MP Marlene Pullicino, had no forewarning of Sant’s Mistra stunt. That allegation was not denied.
It seems to me that Karl Borg and Ivan Magro are one and the same person or they share telepathic thoughts or were separated at birth…
see comments posted beneath article
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20080324/local/george-micallef-reveals-meeting-with-pullicino-orlando-and-dcc-officials
Well spotted Meerkat. So it turns out Ivan Magro and Karl Borg are the same person. Or are they different people who have been delegated to copy and paste the same piece of text?
Ivan/Karl, what do you have to say to this?
Any fresh thoughts on this issue?
I thought not …..
Some nice clips here….
http://x.com.mt/forum/index.php?topic=1059.2070
Still no comments, I see.
Where have all those who defended JPO gone?
Underground?
Yoo-hoo!
I seem to be talking to myself here – who’s the chicken now?
Cluck-cluck.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20080622/opinion/editorial
http://www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=71142
Still no comments?
Looks like JPO is not the only one still in denial!
Ganni, how do you feel about Xarabank’s Peppi being in cahoots with the husband of Lil_Din ex-WE employee on the MLP journalistic ethics board?
“Ganni Borg Friday, 20 June 0122hrs
Any fresh thoughts on this issue?”
Who will get the order of the boot first from his respective boss, JPO or Gejzin Micallef who brought about yet another general electoral loss for the MLP?
“Victor Laiviera Thursday, 6 March 1243hrs
Being in a minority of one has never bothered me – as long as I know I’m right.”
Was the mlp commission that was set up to study the causes of the MLP electoral defeat, have anyone in particular in mind, when it referred to the negative impact on the internet brought about by its few adherents there?
Ah – a reaction at long last.
So tell me Pinkerton- what do you think that JPO should do?
Hmmmm …. seems to have been just a flash in the pan. Pinkerton ducked out again.
This topic seems to heve been abandoned. No hard to figure out why, is it?
Cluck, cluck!
Ganni Borg: It’s not hard at all, Ganni Borg. You’re just boring.
Yeah, right! :)
Do you think that if we wait long enough someone will scrape up the courage to comment here?
Yes? No?
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20080702/local/mepa-officials-tell-police-of-persistent-pressure-from-pullicino-orlando
Comment, anyone?
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20080703/local/mepa-officials-say-permit-approved-after-mps-pressure
Just in case anybody missed this.
:)
Anybody care to comment?
Yet more astounding antics from MEPA-reformed-by-the-safe-pair-of-hands.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20080704/local/mepa-statement-raises-questions-about-board-decision
Ho hum.
Looks like a walk-over.
:)
Still nothing? Maybe MikeC would like to comment?
“I acted upon Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando’s insistence” – George Micallef
maltastar.com team Wed, 16 July 2008
Tourism Authority consultant George Micallef told police he changed a tourism authority outline application in Mistra to full development to speed up the process for the application of an open-air entertainment in Mistra.
Mr Micallef said he acted “upon insistence of Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando.”
This was stated by prosecuting Inspector Ian Abdilla who testified in the case against George Micallef, one of the three persons accused in the Mistra scandal. Mr Micallef is being accused of false declaration for personal interest and in breach of the development planning act.
The case is about the approval of an outline development permit by the planning authority for an open-air nightclub in an area of ecological and scientific importance and earmarked as a Natura2000 site. The land in question is owned by PN MP Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando.
http://www.maltastar.com/pages/msrv/msfullart.asp?an=22615
“Ganni Borg” – Take the hint … You’re being ignored!
Amanda, your post is a contradiction in terms.
:)
Loks like a done-deal The PN keeps mum about JPO and in return he lets Gonzi keep his seat.
Isn’t life a scream?
“Ganni Borg” – You have confirmed my suspicion that you fail to grasp the basics of the English language.
Your original post was directed at MikeC, who chose to ignore you. Hence my previous comment.
See you at Castille Place with your solitary red flag, huh? (You’re beginning to sound more and more like a certain someone I “know”.)
I hurts to realise that you can only stay in power by appeasing a liar and a cheat doesn’t it?
Ganni Borg, nobody on this blog is ‘in power’, unless they are using a false name. Or do you have the il-gvern tieghi mentality?