Franco emulates Mintoff in using parliamentary privilege to abusively censure a journalist
Portrait of an absolute c**t
Franco Debono has filed a breach of privilege complaint against newspaper columnist Andrew Borg Cardona, for something he said about him on TVM, and against TVM’s talk-show host Pierre Portelli.
That’s right, I keep telling you that he is a total Mintoffian and Laburist in spirit, and that he really is in the wrong party.
The most spectacular breach of privilege cases I remember being brought by members of parliament against journalists were brought by members of Dom Mintoff’s government – one of them by Dom Mintoff himself against Godfrey Grima (the Fat Controller’s brother), who was then a stringer for a London broadsheet, and the other by Joe Debono Grech, who is still in parliament today, against Charles Demicoli, then editor of the anti-Labour-government satirical newspaper, Mhux Fl-Interess Tal-Poplu.
Charles Demicoli’s case ended up before the European Court of Human Rights, many years later, and he won.
So much for liberal Franco.
He has also requested the Commissioner of Police to investigate and prosecute me for “criminally defaming” him by uploading a comment from somebody who said his house is for sale.
Yes, unbelievable.
I pointed out to the police that saying a member of parliament’s house is for sale does not constitute criminal defamation whether it is true or not, and that the police have discretion on whether to proceed with an investigation depending on a prima facie assessment of whether a crime has been committed or not.
The police have no right to request personal information from people purely on the basis of an irrational complaint made by an irrational individual who is – in any case – currently busy slandering everyone, including the prime minister, left, right and centre on his website.
The police are interpreting the relevant law wrongly. The law authorises them to request information not purely on the basis of a complaint being made, but on their assessment that a crime has been committed.
If I go to the Police Commissioner and ask for Mr X to be investigated and prosecuted because he said on his website that my hair isn’t really dark brown, but pink and I dye it, then this does not give the police the right (still less the duty) to ransack Mr X’s computer for personal data. They must first make an assessment of whether it is a crime to say that somebody’s hair is really pink and they dye it dark brown.
So I’m afraid that the police are going to get no joy from me, and this on a matter of principle. The Labour Party can spin it as ‘Daphne’s arrogance’ all they like. They should be bloody grateful there are people who are prepared to stand up to abuse by those in real power, like Franco Debono.
I explained to the police that it is Franco Debono himself who should be investigated for criminal defamation, that I have several such grounds for presenting a request to the Police Commissioner myself, and that Debono has been given notice of this in a formal letter from my husband – in his capacity as a lawyer and as my husband who has been truly defamed by Debono – who also notified him that any further such slander will be met with a thorough complaint against him to the Commission for the Administration of Justice.
To put you in the picture of just how far gone Franco Debono is, one of his ‘good ideas’ for the reform of the justice system was having the criminal defamation law repealed. Now he has found it convenient and decided to use it himself.
Il-vera mignun u Mintoffjan. Jaqq. Ta’ min jaqbad itih injection u igorru dritt lejn il-Manikomju, ghax hemmhekk postu.
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Slightly off topic – just heard this BBC programmed on the undecided voters in the USA election. Most of it applies equally to the so-called floating voters in Malta.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00ygcls
The same comment have been made by Bill Maher on his ‘Real Time’ show a couple of weeks ago. (around 3.00 on this video).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lv0ryYJY-UM
It is because of couples like Daphne and Franco that I voted yes to divorce.
Hands up all those who’ll walk into Valletta in support of Mrs.Caruana Galizia the day she’s summoned to appear in court.
And Mr.Borg Cardona of course.
[Daphne – Breach of privilege means being summoned to appear before parliament. The European Court of Human Rights has already ruled this to be abusive.]
That would be the strangers gallery then.
This is so 80s.
“Breach of privilege exists only in the UK, Ireland, Cyprus and Malta. It is a very strange procedure by which Parliament converts itself into a criminal court of law, acting as victim, prosecutor, judge and jury at the same time and if found guilty the defendant can be sentenced for up to two months in jail.”
Judge Giovanni Bonello
http://www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=144654
I wonder whether any of the reforms in the justice sector which Franco Debono claims to be promoting apply to this case.
So how can Franco marry the fact that the same procedure he is calling upon (breach of privilege especially as defined by Judge Bonello) is exactly identical to the same procedure which he is complaining about whereby PN decided not to let him contest?
Isn’t he saying that PN decision was not according to natural justice since PN is acting as judge and jury?
Would love to see what natural justice exists then in the breach of privilege procedure which Hon. DeBono decided to avail himself of in Parliament
Can we sign some kind of petition against Franco? Is there anyhting legal we can do to show our disapproval and ask him to resign?
It would be better if you sign a petition asking Gonzi to call an election without further delay !
Hands up.
Please also reserve a seat in the court room Just make sure it’s not next to Jason or Ronnie.
Nahseb li kieku tavza li diehla l-Qorti, in-nies jingabru biex jghidulha x’jahsbu dwar il-velenu li xxerred kontra l-PL u l-mexxejja kollha tieghu, ikunu min ikunu !
[Daphne – Don’t talk rot, Mr Privitera. Pensioners should find some more constructive use of their time.]
You’re asking too much of this guy.
He’s been at it since I was a teenager, and now I’m a pensioner.
Moral of the story: some people never learn!
Daphne, you’re Malta’s heroine. Our heroine
Is there a European Citizen of the Century prize we can nominate her for, chaps?
Now that’s just what we’re missing – seeding the idea for our hero Franco to claim exclusive rights for some grand international prize.
How about starting with a “Gieh ir-Republika” or “Order of Merit” and I am being serious. Daphne is a valuable asset for Malta because her writing teaches, entertains, informs, debates on issues which can make an existence on this rock worthwhile.
Why not ask her to stand for election then ???? So that she may finally realize what the vast majority of people think of her and her articles . Go on ask her and see what she says .
I am certain Daphne is terrified of ever putting her credibility to the test. In fact she never takes part in any TV debates, not even on her friend Lou’s program.
[Daphne – I don’t appear on television shows because I have nothing to sell and no votes to seek, and because I’m not going to be paid for my time, Mr Privitera. So explain to me exactly why you think I should waste my precious – and believe me, it is, because I am not a pensioner – time taking part in TV debates. I certainly don’t need any more attention, attention being the reason some people do it.]
Daphne says: ” I don’t appear on TV shows bacause I have nothing to sell..” I agree 100% !
[Daphne – No, Mr Privitera, I mean exactly that: I am not selling anything because I don’t WANT to sell anything – no Botox services, no legal consultancy services, no make-up services. This does not mean that I am trying to sell something but that other people don’t want it, or that I have nothing to sell if I wanted to sell it. Your English is terrible.]
Daphne continues: ” And no votes to seek “. Because you know you’ll get very few !
[Daphne – No, because I am not interested in being a politician. I have said this repeatedly from the outset. I have not changed my mind. Politics interest me as an observer and not as a politician. The fact that a large part of my work is writing about food does not mean that I want to be a chef. They are two completely different spheres of work. I would probably get very many votes, but even that would mean nothing to me because we have to bear in mind that even Franco Debono and Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando got lots of votes and it turned out that they didn’t even deserve the vote they gave themselves.]
Daphne says: ” And because I’m not going to be paid for my time”. Which means all you do is FOR MONEY ! Precisely this is why you write your articles full of vitriol against the PL – FOR MONEY !!!!!!
[Daphne – No, you twerp. I do very many things for the sheer pleasure of it, like this website on which you currently have the privilege of parading yourself. But if I do something that is not enjoyable, not for charity, and which eats up my valuable time to allow others to make money off it with no benefit to myself, then yes, I do expect to be paid. Otherwise, why bother? I don’t imagine you made your lavatory paper for fun under the Mintoff regime when we weren’t allowed to import any so that you could make money yourself.]
Daphne; you’re getting attention, and how. But for the wrong reasons !
As a pensioner I am using my time constructively, to expose GonziPN and il-Klikka, in which you have a prominent place !
[Daphne – How do you define ‘wrong reasons’, Mr Privitera? Your parameters might not be my own. I don’t suffer from the myriad embarrassments which plague the mittlilkless or the working class.]
This funny (weird) little man is not worth your time, Daphne. You flatter him by responding.
However, by uploading his comments, you are achieving your entertainment goal for your blog.
I agree with Harry.
Besides, they waste your time from giving us new posts about the stupidities of Labour.
Do they come here, or do they send them here?
So Franco Debono files breach of privilege complaints knowing (I assume he does know) that they will expire as soon as he brings down the government by voting against the budget.
You assume too much.
Franco’s on suicide-bombing mode.
Dear PM, can we have that blessed election tomorrow, please?
That’s Franco Debono style thinking. Elections are held to elect governments not to purge lunatics from the house of representatives.
Let’s have the election when it is due. That way Franco will not complain that he was not even given enough time to plan and execute his own self-destruction.
From the bottom of my heart I dedicate this song to Franco Debono :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-KLFXz_d0E
I was wondering if we can file a complaint to the police against Franco Debono for disturbing the peace.
I was wondering if there is something the police can do acting in the common good.
This seriously disturbed individual needs to be put away and fast – he is a hindrance to society and the well-being of the country.
Ara veru buffu dan Franco. Qal li rcieva theddida ta’ mewt bl-sms. Nispera li ma kienx mitfi! U dwar il-programm ta’ Pierre Portelli jien rajtu u la Pierre u lanqas Andrew ma’ qalu affarijiet li jistghu b’xi mod jammontaw ghal xi ksur ta’ privilegg.
Ghax ma jghidx Franco li qieghed jabbuza mil-privilegg parlamentari (li mhux se jdum igawdih) biex isawwat lil kull min jidhirlu hu. Sawwat lill-PM, lil Karm Mifsud Bonnici, lil Richard Cachia Caruana, lilek Daphne, u kull min dehrlu li dejqu bil-kummenti tieghu bhal Pierre u Andrew.
Din ta’ Franco hija wkoll vjolenza passiva, ta’ bniedem iddisprat li jobghod lil kull min hu madwaru ghax l-affarijiet ma jigux kif irid hu. U l-ebda vjolenza, lanqas dik passiva, ma tista’ tigi tollerata.
Franco qieghed f’paniku kbir u ghandu ragun ikun. Ghax id-decizjoni li se jiehu li biha se jwaqqa l-gvern se tkun tfisser li certi mizuri li hemm bzonn jittiehdu fil-bagit se jkollhom jieqfu b’detriment ghall-poplu Malti kollu.
U l-poplu Nazzjonalist se jzommu responsabbli ghall-konsegwenzi ta’ l-azzjoni tieghu. Li qed jaghmel qed jaghmlu biex isawwat lin-Nazzjonalisti stess li ivvutawlu, li l-hin kollu qed iweggahhom u li m’huma se jahfrulu QATT.
Ghax trid tkun wiccek bil-hara biex titla’ fil-parlament bil-voti tan-nazzjonalisti u mbaghad issawwat lill-idoli taghhom u tobzoq f’wicc min itellghek, dan kollu ghax ma sirtx ministru.
Jaqaw ma taqrax x’tikteb Daphne, mhux biss dwar Franco debono, JPO, Mugliett etc.. izda anke dwar familjari ta’ dawk li tqis li huma theddida ghal-GonzPN, specjalment Dr. Joseph Muscat , martu u anki uliedu !
[Daphne – I see that you are just as thick, ignorant and obsessive as you were when you used to jam the correspondence pages of The Times in the 1970s, Mr Privitera. I trust now that you have obtained your divorce – have you? – you have gone on to marry your ‘partner’ (didn’t you give an interview about the subject in the divorce campaign?), so exactly why are you not engaged in the business of living happily ever after?]
Sur Privitera, la darba deherlek li tikkumenta dwar il-kumment tieghi, ippermettili nirrispondik. Kun af li jien naqra l-artikli ta’ Daphne u naqra wkoll tieghek. M’hemmx paragun.
Jien nirrispetta l-opinjoni tieghek u lilek bhala persuna imma ma naqbel mieghek xejn ghaliex jekk xi hadd ma jridx li ssir kritika fuq il-familjari tieghu, ma joqghodx juzahom ghall-propaganda politika tieghu.
Jien trabbejt taht ir-regim socjalista tas-sebghin u t-tmenin, li int tappoggja u sofrejt l-intolleranza. Ghalhekk tghallimt kemm hi mportanti li tittollera lil haddiehor. U dak iz-zmien l-intolleranza ma kinitx tiehu l-forma ta’ kitba ta’ xi artiklu kontra xi persuna pubblika imma kienet azzjoni hazina diretta kontra individwi komuni.
Sfortunatament int donnok xjaht u ma tghallimt xejn. Ghax ghadek il-hin kollu tipprova tihhajgekkja l-mezzi ta’ komunikazzjoni lokali biex tiddefendi lir-regim socjalista ta’ dak iz-zmien jew biex timponi l-idejat mrangta tieghek dwar l-UE meta taf li l-poplu ilu li iddecieda li ma jaghtix kazek.
Tkunx opportunist. Ejja nhallu n-nies li jaqraw dawn l-artikli jiggudikaw huma.
If I am interested in knowing what the likes of Mr Privitera have to say I will log on to Maltastar, Maltatoday , Times or Franco Debono’s blog.
A spot of judicious use of PIFF PAFF or BAYGON is said to work wonders on straying insects.
Thank you.
Franco Debono is the right sort of contestant for the TLC show ”Tiaras and Toddlers”.
When are we going to see the back of him?
Although I am sure we have not heard the last of him. Wonder who threatened him with his life – some constituent most probably.
Franco the sniper.
Franco, go for a walk. Preferably in the Dingli Cliffs area and after dark.
Careful. That’s a death threat.
Don’t worry, he will forgive him.
Baxxter, don’t worry. It can be covered up as a suicide.
Franco Debono seems to have a very fragile ego. Maybe he should wrap himself up in this http://www.latestbuy.com.au/bubble-wrap-costume.html to prevent further bother to the rest of us.
The mind boggles – http://www.maltastar.com/dart/20121002-franco-debono-receives-death-threat
I thought that it would be up to the police – not the recipient of the threatening text message – to sue the perpetrator for his/her criminal acts. Then again, who’s to believe the whole story, anyway?
Who threatened him? Could well be someone from his cock-fighting circle of acquaintances. Someone envious of his bird, perhaps?
MamiiiiIIIIIII! The evil clique is making fun of me again.
This is the interview given by Bocca that made Franco see red.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSf_EuucLhY
megalomaniac