Bye for now
Published:
March 9, 2010 at 11:56am
Consuelo Herrera (she was a private citizen that night, apparently) with the daughter-in-law of the president of the republic, who is executive secretary of the Labour Party.
Now I’m off to the police station in Valletta – not Police HQ in Floriana – to be formally cautioned and then interrogated about Magistrate Herrera’s accusation that I called her a liar.
Oh, irony of ironies.
And this after I have taken a call from one of the most senior and respectable members of the police force, telling me that he is going to write to the chief justice to point out that what Magistrate Herrera said about him in court is not true.
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Good luck, Daphne. Wish you well. Let us all know when you are out.
As I told you yesterday. Kienu se jaghmlu zball li l-interrogazjoni kienet ser issir id-Depot. They must have read what I wrote in the blog and corrected their mistake.
They do not read this blog. They study every word and comment.
Sorry to burst your bubble. But I do not think that you are correct. It is the nature of the offence which determines which particular Police department is given remit to investigate determined sets of offences, even if, as I shall state further on, that this practice is not enshrined in any law or one which is necessarily always adhered to.
Slander, criminal libel and calumny are different offences that are typically investigated by different Police departments, even if they are committed by and against the same persons. Naturally, if all are committed by one person to the detriment of the same other, at the same time (or if the offences having been committed at different times are being investigated for the first time) the department charged with investigating the more serious offence will continue to investigate the lesser ones and issue charges accordingly.
Ostensibly, however, this does not mean that the Police are obliged to follow this practice. As far as private citizens are concerned the Police is a single institution and as such it may elect to have the CID investigate petty theft (as it has done in the past), a thing this last, which typically lies within the remit of the district Police.
It is obvious that these are administrative decisions which are taken in the light of the perceived seriousness of the offence irrespective of the nature of the offence alleged to have been comitted. For example, the investigation into the bribery of the two judges was conducted by the Police Commissioner himself. Yet the offence per se was ‘merely’ one of the bribery of two public officials, one which would lie comfortably within the remit of the CID. Had the bribery been of a lowly government clerk, a public official as much as a judge or magistrate, I am certain that the Police Commissioner would not have intervened.
Another example would be the way the Police dealt with a spate of pick-pocketing thefts that were being committed by a number of Bulgarian nationals a few years ago. Given that it was felt that these crimes were having a direct effect on tourism, and tourism being such an important industry for the local economy, the Police administration decided to involve the CID and Mobile units in order to deal with the ’emergency’ until the streets were swept clean of the offenders and the ‘crises’ abated.
Nowadays, however, as well as before, pick-pocketing theft is dealt with ‘summarily’, so to speak, by the district officers.
Therefore, the profile that an investigation raises, determines the administrative decision on who to place in charge of what. So, I don’t think one can say that the Police made a ‘mistake’, either politically or administratively. The public outcry that DCG’s articles created, and the profile they raised [as intended, rightly or wrongly, by their author after all], not on just any person or any public official, for that matter, but on a member of the judiciary, caused the administration to deal with this matter with ‘kid gloves’ so to speak and give it the importance that it merited.
Then there is another thing, the nature of the office or the person filing the complaint. It’s one thing if Joe Bloggs (say, a police constable himself) were to file a complaint for libel, and another if it’s, as in this case, a magistrate. The Police administration would want be seen by the complainant to be doing its utmost and using its greatest resolve to investigate the complaint and bring the alleged offender to justice.
Failure to do this is usually met with sharp crticism of the complainant and may have other consequences, particularly if the complainant is particularly (sorry!), influential.
Finally, given that it is the district police who are now investigating the alleged calumnious accusation, only serves to highlight how the Police is now viewing the entire case as a whole. The latest alleged offence, has not created the public outcry that the articles did, it is apparently not being taken as seriously by the complainant herself (and certainly not by the judiciary charged with hearing her case).
The profile has started to lower, and as Uncle Billy was wont to say “…draw the arras close”.
In the bad/good old days whenever an MLP stalwart was rarely called in to the Floriana Police GHQ to “assist the police” he was seen pronto by the police officer concerned and when he exercised his right to remain silent the Commissioner of Police was so informed and that person was allowed to go home and not made to cool his heels in a cell for the maximum of 48 hours allowed for legal detention.
I do not think that this ploy would necessarily work in this instance but there is no harm in trying.
Now that the long record of conduct unbecoming by Consuelo Scerri Herrera has finally reached its logical outcome and proceedings for perjury hang over her, it is even less proper that Dr Lydia Abela, the daughter-in-law of the President of Malta, who also presides over the Commission for the Administration of Justice, should be on close hugging terms with her.
Good luck Daphne and please do let us know about the outcome.
This blog is more than a web log, especially with its last few weeks’ blogging content. It’s becoming a country log (a clog?), and will soon be accredited with official status. Keep on clogging, D.C.G. So many avenues are being opened.
I hope they will put you in your sences and while you are there pop in your hubby office and ask him how on earth he is holding on his goverment which is in tatters.see you baby daphe.
and i hope that you will learn once and for all tony baby that you do not make much sence end only end here becose you do not hev anywhere els to go becos yor words do not mkae sence et al.
Tony: Daphne’s “hubby” Lawrence Gonzi is holding on to his office because your “hubby” Alfred Sant lost yet another election.
What a slimy excuse you are, tony. I’m trying to profile you. Bet you’ve got a spotty face, you’re on the short side, with receding hair, someone who envies your so-called friends when they pick up a woman, pretty unsuccessful in life and I guess with a big chip on your shoulder the size of a travu tat-tlettax. And definitely Joey’s lackey. Now go back to your hole.
Shame I had to go down to your level but it’s the only way to get through to your type.
You are very sick. Please seek medical help. Hopefully one who can spell.
Keep up with the times, “Another Tony”. These days it’s more common for women to pick men up, rather than the other way round.
I’m beginning to think that this Tony (no, not Tony Pace) must be some form of fetishist, with his constant reference to Daphne as “baby”.
get a life!
I hope that when you were there you lodged a report against Dr Scerri Herrera for lying under oath. That is a serious crime. Possibly it is aggravated if committed by a public officer – but I stand to be corrected.
Dr Scerri Herrera: step down!
Further to the recent law amendment – you are now entitled to have a lawyer present at the police station while you are being questioned! Play by the book, Daphne. Good luck!
No. She isn’t.
It’s 2 o’clock and there’s not a single comment beneath the story about yesterday’s court happenings, on timesofmalta.com. How unusual.
This is a minefield for newspaper journalists.
I suspect those interested in the story have turned to this blog as the best source of information – which explains the 100K+ of hits on this blog on 8 March. Or else, they were left speechless.
In any case, The Times and the other dailies are just a bunch of reporters who take notes (as opposed to the Commission for the Administration of Justice, for instance, which “takes note”) – just like students do during lectures in most of our educational system.
It’s what you do with the notes that counts. Putting them aside and conveniently forgetting them is pretty useless.
Although I have been following this blog for a few months now, I am horrified as to the recent developments of this saga. The reputation of Malta’s highest institution is once again being tarnished by misconduct.
Why has the media remained subdued in all this?
Why have both political parties remained silent?
People should take to the streets and protest for the right reasons – the recent hype related to our electricity tariffs is trivial compared to this.
Daphne, where are you?
We seem to be living in some sort of Alice’s Wonderland with things getting “curiouser” and “curiouser”.
What is going to happen after a very reputable and a very senior police officer complains that one magistrate giving sworn evidence before another magistrate was being economical with the truth? Who reports whom about what and to whom? Or is that sort of attention being reserved for the likes of Daphne Caruana Galizia – not that there are too many of them?
As Euripedes said “Quos deus vult perdere, prius dementat” (those whom a god wishes to destroy he first drives mad).
Il-maggoranza l-kbira tal-Maltin warajk, Daphne.
This is the photo that One News used in their headline story about how Daphne Caruana Galizia, two sisters and one handbag harassed Charlon Gouder and Byon Jo in Republic Street.
Put everything that happens to you in writing on this blog. That’s the best insurance policy you can get.
A lie is an untruth, a deviation, big or small, from what is known to be real. It is a false statement deliberately presented as being true, thus misrepresenting a situation or giving a totally wrong impression about something.
There are generally two types of lies – white lies, which do little or no damage, and black lies, which can do detriment to the deceiver or the deceived when the truth is found out.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A996942
Why People Lie – a Summary (same source)
Greed – for power, for advantage, for money, for admiration
Fear – we are sometimes driven to lie by fear – usually of what will happen if we tell the truth
Acceptance – no man is an island. We find ourselves doing whatever it takes to be accepted, to be liked and appreciated
Habit – compulsive liars lie compulsively because they are used to it
The magistrate has a deep pot of paint and the largest brush she could find and is fast painting herself into a corner.
Se ticcappas wahda sew.
What’s that they say about it ‘not being over till the fat lady sings’? Methinks she got caught singing the wrong tune. It’s over–game, set, match. Best not to mess with the best, Madame Magistrate.
Another magistrate in the slammer?
Don’t mention slammers. She might think you’re referring to some Tequila slammer or other. She’s already taken offence at a reference to Singapore sling, allura ma’rriduhiex tifmek hazin, hux?
Twila l-interrogazjoni!
It’s 7pm, where are you? Some interrogation.
Give her a chance to type miskina. I’m sure there’s a lot to come today.
Illum noodles tghidli qalbi se nieklu!
Imma mhux Singapore noodles.
Daphne, hope you are back safe and sound by now.
Should I call Brussels to check on you? Should I tell them to send the European armada to search for you?
It’s really amusing what we are being told. Please keep us informed. Thanks
Please Daphne, put our minds at rest.
A message that will probably never see the light of day on your blog, like many others.
Daphne, you say you cherish freedom of speech, but only when it relates to certain others. When it’s about you, aahhh! alas, you delete them.
Can’t let your perverted fans see what the ‘others’ think of you, right? And many of those who really see through you will not even bother.
In my eyes you are a hypocrite in action.
You can’t handle criticism towards you. You are self- consumed and self-centered. I dare you to leave all the comments if even for a week. Let us enjoy freedom of expression on your blog too. Lately, you’ve been like a crying baby with a dirty nappy blabbering about ‘others’ wanting to shut you up.
Good for you, I admire your fighting spirit for what is right. But then why are you shutting others up by censoring comments?
I remember you well in your ‘office’ at Ta’ Xbiex or was that residential, your holiness ? Need to jog my memory a bit, you see I’m getting old now. have well passed my midlife crisis. Thank God for that.
I’m sure you will not be posting this, but don’t worry it will be posted or printed with a nice collection of censored comments by the lady who cherishes freedom of speech when it concerns others but not upon yourself.
[Daphne – If you remember me well in my office in Ta’ Xbiex – it wasn’t residential; I would never live somewhere so small and I hate flats – and you have passed your midlife crisis, then you are almost certainly one of the couple who lived in the flat beneath, against whom I filed a police report for assault and because of whom I left. Oh but perhaps not: you’re the one with the roving IP numbers. What is it this time? Let’s see: WOODSTOCK! Good choice.]
Da ta’ Selmun!
My dear Jo how sweet of you to defend freedom of speech. Since you’ve passed your midlife crisis I am sure you remember the 1980s and freedom of speech. Anyway Daphne doesn’t need me to defend her from you. She can do that in her sleep.
But I’m a fan and you called me a pervert. Ah, that’s different mate. Let me explain pervert to you. Perverts are those who ransack law courts, the curia, the times, pn clubs, Eddie’s home, beating up his 80 year old mother in the process. Bigger perverts were those who had the power and the duty to do something but done nothing or worse. Shame. And yet like you they still walk amongst us!
[Daphne – Jo isn’t a Laburist. He’s one of those bitter ‘Nationalists’. His brother used to be a parliamentary secretary. He works in business development at Malta International Airport. I had reported him to the police for assaulting me in the street and spraining my ankle. Then I withdrew the report because he was quite obviously suffering from some kind of depression. When he forced his way into the flat where I worked and tried to strangle me, I didn’t report him either. Instead, I just left. Now he stalks me over the internet. It’s all part of the same depressive fixation. Malta is full of weirdos and crackpots, but you only find out just how many there are when you do the kind of work that attracts them.]
Got you now. Point taken. I have 330,000 reasons, literally, to be a bitter Nationalist and I am bitter. But do I have a choice? Not really.
Hi Jo. I had to reply and I didn’t know who it was then. We know each other personally and I know you can do a lot better. Daphne is doing her bit to unmask these people as is her right and duty to do. I did my bit daily during those 16 years of hell. So did you and many others. Cheer up mate.
I bet she was questioned about two different cases: Charlon’s and Consuelo’s.
I hope that all goes well for you.
It seems like a story straight from Chechnya or communist China rather than from a European country, as we profess to be.
The government should take notice that its own supporters are seeing this issue as very damaging to the party. Police and courts should not be used to block the truth.
Do not give up, Daphne.
You know that many people are behind you.
oh my goodeness hope you are safe and sound dear daphne….please put my mind at rest! Well said Jo.
I used to like reading your independent articles but although i’m like addicted to this site i don’t like people calling names and insulting others. I find this blog is becoming popular because people are so curious but then be careful cause i’m afraid this is like cyber bullying. I’m sorry to tell you this but i’d rather read articles where people state their point without making any offences. Take care and good luck
May I ask you to spare your readers from these Jo type comments
Frustrated people like Jo have got to let it out somewhere, otherwise they might head straight beneath a plane at the airport where they work, and end it all.
@ Jo. Int forsi dert quddiem Consuelo jew xi habib taghha u hrigt illiberat? Jekk ghandek xi raguni ohra biex taqbghad ma Daphne hawn mhux postok.
Last Saturday I met a friend of mine and during our conversation I mentioned this blog. He told me that he is not interested to know anything about what is happening in our court system as it is so corrupt.
This morning I received an email from this same friend and he told me: “Irrangajtni b’dak il-blog ghax ghamilt 13 il-sigha naqra u bqajt imbellah.”
Possibli wasalna s’hawn f’dan il-pajjiz u hadd ma’ jaghmel xejn?
Anzi jinvestigaw lill-Daphne! X’gharukaza.
…… and sister of shadow minister for justice.
http://www.l-orizzont.com/news2.asp?artid=59648
If there’s a pervert on this blog it’s you, Jo – now that we know who you are.
Ċerti nies il-kilba għal-poter tneżżaħħhom minn kull sens ta’ prinċipju, saqgħajhom waħda fuq il-blue u l-oħra fuq l-aħmar, inkredibbli.
Read my lips: Daphne is getting stronger every minute. Thanks, and keep up the brilliant work.