Taf meta ma torqodx, Ciccio – meta jitla’ l-PL fil-gvern, ghax nergghu nigu lura ghall-80s.

Dear Daphne

Seems that my comments have made you quite nervous – what an outburst. I never thought you were so interested into getting to try and think you know my life and portraying it in a way that you want. I think you didnt follow the case and your answers are not professional. Dont state words in general. “They told me” – “they would have gone to the police” – Let them speak out and I never admitted to the police I have a habit. It seems like you dont know the facts, i think if I admitted such a big habit I would be charged on it and it would be stated in one of my 4 statements.

[Daphne – People are not charged for having a cocaine habit. They are charged for either 1. possession, or 2. dealing. I assume you were doing neither while under interrogation. As for being nervous – hardly. I’ve written right through five legislatures (this is the sixth), seen prime ministers, ministers, leaders of the opposition and MPs come and go, dealt with Lorry Sant’s reaction to my writing about him at 25, and am hardly going to be rendered nervous by a Sliema mayor in a spot of bother. Your story really isn’t that interesting, Nikki – it’s the story of a Sliema mayor in a spot of bother. I never wrote about it because I have a pretty good instinct for the public pulse, and so I didn’t make the same mistake some of my colleagues did, blowing the story out of all proportion. You may think they were helping you, but really, they were using you – and you may choose not to believe me, but I thought it was most indecent and unfair to you, since you were clearly not in a position to make sound judgements while under so much stress.]

I cant beleive how a journalist just comes to a conclusion without even bothering to read the facts or at least have the decency of hearing both sides.

Why can’t I call such a comment disgusting? Do you also dictate people on what to state? Who are you to tell me what to do and judge me? Leave people live in peace and live your life. This is why you have ended up going in and out of court.

[Daphne – No, Nikki, I am in and out of court because I refuse to allow my freedom of expression, my democratic and human right, to be hindered by the fear that my politicial enemies will take me to court. I could choose to live the life of a coward, like most of my compatriots, but I won’t. I can’t see why you, with your profession and your 20 employees and your whole life ahead of you, would have wanted to waste your time becoming mayor of Sliema, but because I am liberal in my views, I am not going to contest your right to do it or suggest that the reason you have problems is because you did it.]

It was the first time for me and just to save some time for you on reasearching, I am charged on soliciting a bribe (asking for but never received a mere € 120 a month) – and you are trying to deprive me from expressing my feelings – I thought you knew about the “freedom of expression”.

[Daphne – I am not trying to deprive you of anything, Nikki. I am uploading your comments intact. The advice I am giving you is something else entirely: that you are being used by the media to fill their pages and by the Labour Party and the newspaper I call John Dalli Today to get at the government. Not one of these people is interested in you as a human being or has your best interests at heart. When I look at you, all I see is a young man in a hell of a lot of trouble, but not so much trouble that he can’t sort it out and get his life back on track. But to do that, you first need to achieve some level of serenity, because in any other state of mind, you will take bad decisions. I would never interview you not because I want to silence you (me? imagine that) but because I think are in enough trouble already and it would be unfair.]

Whilst appreciating your thoughts and worries, and in the same time confirming that you don’t know who I am since I don’t like the spotlight. In fact, I stayed 3 weeks without saying a single word in the media, and I did reflect and think. I wouldnt take your advice since it is not your profession. [Daphne – On the contrary, Nikki, it is very much my profession.] My lawyers, who are known to be amongst the top lawyers in Malta know there job well. In fact they one of them was representing a MP in court last week.

You also are telling me I am not taking good decisions……………well I thank you for your advice, however time will tell who took good decisions. The issue is not this, the issue is justice. It is so easy to criticise when someone is defending himself.

My inexperience has led to quite a number of unseen actions by some of Malta’s highest authorities. I can and did take the media pressure since I only took notice of the media who werent biased and were fair.

Finally I dont need to lie low, I didnt do anything wrong and this is the concept you are missing. I thought you were intelligent enough to understand that, why should I lie low if I didnt do anything. You had your experience so you should even know what it is like when you are interrogated in such a way.

[Daphne – OK, I’m just going to repeat this one more time. I am not telling you to lie low like a criminal. I am advising you to lie low because every public appearance or negotiation with the media upsets and disturbs you. Your replies to me are full of indicators of great agitation, even if you cannot see it yourself. I am telling you through long experience that right now you are extremely vulnerable to people who will use your agitation and hurt for their own ends, without giving a thought to any further damage it might do you. Believe me when I say that my only interest in you is as a fellow human being who I perceive as being in a lot of pain. I have zero interest in mayors. My views about local councils, which range from contempt to indifference, are well known.]
I just ask you one simple question:

Why was there the need to lock me up in a cell after having given my detailed statement and the only evidence produced against me is a declaration of a person. Am I right in asking so? Would you see it fair if I had to go and invent something on you to the police, you are called in and until you give your statement BUT you are thrown in a cell and called back up after hours passes to give another statement.

[Daphne – I think everyone knows by now that I am COMPLETELY AGAINST locking up interrogees in cells unless there are SOLID GROUNDS for suspicion. I am also against interrogation without the presence of a lawyer and I think that interrogations like yours, which are going to end up as the subject of controversy, should be taped. Preferably, all interrogations should be taped. I’ll just stop there.]

My final question is an answer to all your comments which continue to show how a mature person shouldnt act in life – if you beleive in justice and democracy.

Thanks a real lot and dont worry much about me.

D: I was speaking in general and not refering to your case in particular.

I am quite surprised to read that you are stating I have a cocaine habit……………who are you to decide and state that there are others who have said that I asked for kickbacks for my alleged habit.

[Daphne – They told me, Nikki, to my face. They were people I have known for a long time and who have no interest in lying or in doing you in. If they did, they would have gone to the police. But they didn’t.]

Daphne I dont need any kickbacks, and a person having a habit cannot sustain an audit firm with 20 + employees most of whom are professionals and thus wages arent on the low side (and they deserve it).

[Daphne – Nikki, if you don’t have a cocaine habit, then why did you say so to the police? Of course a person with a cocaine habit can keep a business or a professional firm going. It’s been known to happen before. Things keep going for a while and then they become unsustainable and everything collapses. It’s not as though you’re in your 40s or 50s, like many people who have a cocaine habit. You’re still – what – 31?]

Until I read this really disgusting comment which once again shows your lack of professional approach since a professional person would never write such statement if not based on facts. The arrogance of the PN is equal to your arrogance and don’t worry, I dont’t and will never need your help since people like you can’t accept that people coming from a workers family make a success in their profession.

[Daphne – I would call many things in this scenario disgusting, but certainly my comment is the least of it. Quite frankly, I don’t think you’re in a position to call anyone disgusting right now, or arrogant, for that matter. I cannot see why you think I should help you. And I cannot understand how you have linked this to social background. I have no idea of your background and couldn’t care less because it has nothing to do with it, as the examples of Noel Arrigo and Patrick Vella proved so spectacularly.]

In the coming days on the media you will see who I really am, what my professional achievements are, when I was in the wrong in my life and I will mention this fact since. I am disappointed since i used to read your blogs and always thought they were founded but stating that “I have a cocaine habit and that there are others who will not bother to come forward and state that I asked for kickbacks” now confirms why so many libel suits were and are being done against you and I will be another to joing the list.

[Daphne – You see, Nikki, this is EXACTLY why I said that those who are advising you, if there are any, are advising you wrongly. Right now, what you need to do is sit down, keep quiet, stay out of the limelight and sort yourself out. THEN come back after laying low. But there is no way on earth that you are going to get any positive results at this stage from repeated presence in the media. You’re under a whole lot of stress and you’re not taking good decisions. And the only reason I’m telling you this is because I’m almost old enough to be your mother, and believe it or not, you’ve got me worried for you. I can actually see what you’re doing wrong and that you’re too young/inexperienced to take all this constant media pressure. I thought the media was wrong to focus so minutely on your story and I stayed out of it myself. I hope you weren’t the one feeding the media because if so, that was a lousy idea. No journalist is going to fight your battle; all they want is a story or a scandal and you shouldn’t allow yourself to be used for that. Take my advice, for what it’s worth, and lie low.]

Back your words with facts and prove yourself right. If you are such an honest person, now please do state publicly how you have decided to state such words. This really made me change my opinion about you and speak about injustice, so what do you call your action – I think you should go and get your life in order as you seem to hate the world around you.

Please do get my comment.

[Daphne – My life is very much in order, Nikki. And no, I don’t hate the world around me. You are projecting your own current feelings onto me, and please do remember that those feelings are current. They will eventually go away, but only if you lie low and stop appearing in the media all the time trying to clear your name. You are not going to clear your name like this. People are not going to believe that there is nothing to this story, that everyone just ganged up on you and invented a story about kickbacks for reasons of their own. You have to convince them through your behaviour. And behaviour like that you have manifested, including in this comment, doesn’t help.]

“Il-Gvern minghalih li qieghed fit-triq it-tajba. …….., kulhadd qalbu maqtugha, shaba sewda qeghda fuq pajjizna. …..Vera li flimkien kollox kien possibli, imma issa dak is-slogan sfaxxa, marlu l-kulur u ttappan u ddallam. F’idejk Prim Ministru, ghandek sulfarina li jekk trid tista’ tqabbaddha u taghti ftit tad-dawl, izda sa llum in-nar ghadu ma deher imkien. ……Kemm fih gherf il-kliem li qal John Dalli, ….”

What a load of crap!

Is he released after 48 hours and re-arrested as soon as he leaves the Police HQ (I don’t like “depot”)?

[Daphne – Yes, that used to happen all the time. They’d arrest you, let you out of the depot gate, then rearrest you immediately. Or they’d let you go home and then pick you up again.]

What about “habeus corpus”?

It appears that Malta’s finest (ahem) prefer confessions to actually working on proving their case beyond reasonable doubt by bringing proof of guilt.

[Daphne – It’s impossible to prove guilt when you have fabricated a crime, Anthony.]

Zomm wahda. “Induru ghall-gheruq” ma jaghmilx sens jekk l-gheruq ma joffrux hlief cucati. Ma nippretendix li prim ministru jifformula l-istrategija ekonomika ta’ pajjiz billi jiehu l-vot tal-udjenza f’kazin, per ezempju.

Imma jekk b'”gheruq” qed tghid ghal dawk li mhumhiex involuti fil-partit izda huma professjonisti, jew tal-unions, jew tal-constituted bodies, hekk mod iehor.

John Dalli m’ghandu xejn x’jghid. Kull ma qed jipproponi hija s-soltu cliché ta” “il-gvern huwa arroganti”. Il-gvern mhux arroganti, imma inkompetenti. Li mhijhiex l-istess haga.

Tridni nghidlek ghaliex il-PN u Gonzi se jitiflu l-elezzjoni fl-2013? Ghax minflok dak li jezisti, jaraw li jiffunzjona b’mod perfett, jivvintaw progretti u skemi u inizjattivi godda.

La fuite en avant, insejhulha.

U mdawrin bi shaba ta’ bullshitters jibbumbardjawh bl-ottimizmu.

Daphne kitbet il-veritajiet taghha, u dawk is-27 siegha f’dak il-wahx ghadu jberren go mohha. U zgur li ma naghtijiex tort! Kieku kont jien bhalha ghadni rrabbjat ghal dan il-pulizija bil-kilba tal-poter! Dawn iridu jitilghu fil-gvern u daqshekk. Dak hu l-iskop taghhom.

Il-Gvern minghalih li qieghed fit-triq it-tajba. Taparsi jikkonsulta u jaghmel ta’ rasu. Qed ihalli l-korporazzjonijiet tieghu jitmexxew bla direzzjoni, kulhadd qalbu maqtugha, shaba sewda qeghda fuq pajjizna. Il-Prim Ministru jrid jisma lil poplu, irid ihoss il-polz tal-poplu, illum qabel ghada! Ghada Too LATE!

Ghada tigix thabbat il-bieb ghal-vot, ghax se ssibu maghluq. Illum qed insejjahlek, u int qed tirrifjuta li twiegeb. Illum jien ghandi bzonn min imexxi l-quddiem.

Vera li flimkien kollox kien possibli, imma issa dak is-slogan sfaxxa, marlu l-kulur u ttappan u ddallam. F’idejk Prim Ministru, ghandek sulfarina li jekk trid tista’ tqabbaddha u taghti ftit tad-dawl, izda sa llum in-nar ghadu ma deher imkien.

Kemm fih gherf il-kliem li qal John Dalli, dak li kellu jirrizenja minhabba l-qlajjiet! Irridu nduru ghall-gheruq. Id-dielja nixfet, qed tibki ghal tazza ilma, imma.

Fejn huma l-vera politici? Gorg Borg Olivier, Gwido de Marco, Eddie Fenech Adami, Louis Galea, Ugo Mifsud Bonnici, Ninu Zammit, fejn huma?

Qed nisma hafna nies idoqqu l-hornijiet, qed nara hafna nies bl-ahmar jifirhu, iva, qed jifirhu ghax rebhu l-elezzjoni! Sewwa jaghmlu, kull min jirbah jifrah!

Il-One Tv qed ixandar trakkijiet imdawwlin bl-ahmar u ftit metri l-isfel, f’tal-Pieta, hafna wcuh mbellhin, ma jistghux jifhmu ala n-nies ghamlu hekk.

Issa naghmlu hafna programmi ha naraw ghaliex tlifna, issa nohorgu l-istatistici mill-kxiexen ha jkollna xi nqabblu. Qed nisthajjel nisma lil Dr. Gonzi jghid li l-poplu ma fehemx il-messagg, bhallikieku jdur fuq kull wiehed u wahda li ma vvutawx u jsaqsihom bid-dmugh f’ghajnejh: ‘Ghaliex?’ ‘Kif?’

Ma rridx nghidilkom x’risposti bdew jaghtuh!

Izda li nista’ nghidilkom hu li baqa’ ssummat jisma u jisma! Din id-darba ma deherx dahqan.

Kemm nixtieq li din holma kerha!
Kemm nixtieq!
Kemm nixtieq!

Messagg lil Daphne: Please forward this message to people who are capable of doing something. Xi hadd li ghadu jinteressah li l-Vizjoni 2015 ssehh vera, u mhux bil-paroli wisq!

Jekk LE, dak il-pulizija li cahhdek mill-liberta’ tieghek, ghad insibuh jien u int ma’ wiccna fi ftit zmien iehor mhux wisq il-boghod.

Grazzi li hallejtni nsemma’ lehni!

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20101011/cartoon-of-the-day/cartoon-of-the-day