Another deceptive story in The Times (half the truth is just another lie)
Instead of insisting on sending round its own photographer and reporter to verify the truth of what new parliamentary secretary Roderick Galdes told them, The Times uploaded without question the photograph he sent them.
Then the newspaper put his ‘we found bare offices’ accusation in the headline and shoved the outgoing minister’s denial into the last lines of the story.
If The Times wishes to carry on bleeding credibility with its core readership, of which I am one, then this is a good way to go.
Perhaps it has taken an editorial decision to retain the readership of the semi-literate Laburisti trolls who pollute its comments-board but don’t buy the print edition (or anything from its advertisers) instead. Whichever way I look at it, this road The Times appears to have chosen is crazy.
Here are the facts on Casa Leone, Bertrand Borg.
The photograph which Roderick Galdes (incidentally, the only member of the MEPA board who voted in favour of Charles Polidano’s proposed mega-flats development in the old village core of Hal Balzan) sent you was taken at Casa Leone. Or did you just pick it off Facebook?
This building was used not by the ministry or secretariat staff, but by employees of government agencies. These employees were rung up last Wednesday (by this government, obviously) and asked to report to Casa Leone on Thursday first thing to pack up and move out by the end of the day.
They did exactly as they were told, removing everything that belonged to the agencies and which they had brought with them when they moved into Casa Leone a year ago.
When they had packed everything up, leaving the scene which Roderick Galdes photographed and falsely reported to The Times as theft by outgoing ministry officials, they found that (in typical Labour chaos fashion) no provision had been made for them to go elsewhere.
As panic ensued and they stood about with their crates and boxes, somebody hit on the emergency measure of moving them to the school building across the road – where they now have telephone sets packed in boxes but no phone lines, no internet and only one lavatory.
The union was called in (UHM) and it laid down that the working conditions are unfit for purpose. They should be moving out of the school and into alternative temporary offices today.
But the question remains: why were they asked to pack up and leave Casa Leone, and why did Roderick Galdes then photograph the scene and pretend it was vindictive vandalism or theft?
Clyde Puli’s secretariat was also based at Casa Leone, though the government agencies had nothing to do with him and were located in a separate part of the large building.
He wrote on Facebook – and for God’s sake would you all please stop doing this because Facebook is really not the appropriate medium for official communication about serious matters:
Nichad bil-qawwa kollha l-allegazjoni tal-Onor R. Galdes li saru xi hsarat apposta minn dawk ta’ qablu (referenza cara ghall-istaff tieghi) fuq is-sistemi ta’ IT tal-ufficini li kienu uzati minna.
Ir-ritratt ta’ ufficju b’wires imqacctin li l-Onor Galdes jew xi hadd mill-istaff tieghu ta lit-Times l-anqas biss kien uzat minni jew minn staff tieghi.
L-ufficini taghna kienu moghddija f’kundizzjoni tajba lil nies responsabbli fic-civil, lejliet l-elezzjoni, li vverifikaw dan qabel ma n-nies tieghi irritornaw ic-cwievet lura.
X’gara bejn il-Gimgha bil-lejl u l-Erbgha fil-ghodu ma nistax nghid ghax jien u n-nies tieghi la konna hemm u l-anqas konna ghadna fil-Gvern.
U la ma konniex hemm, jien u l-istaff tieghi, m’ahniex se noqghodu nispekulaw x’seta gara, jew min kellu l-interess jaghmel dawn l-affarijiet.
Issa jekk joghgobkom ieqfu minn din il-‘kampanja pozittiva’ li ilkom thaddmu ghal dawn l-ahhar gimghat. Il-poplu taghkom mandat biex tiggvernaw. Iffokaw l-energija taghkom hemmhekk.
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What’s even worse is that Raphael Vassallo from Malta Today is inventing that the same thing happened at Castille! Shame on these liars!
http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/en/blogsdetails/blogs/My-what-sound-principles
Utterly disgusting.
What disgusts me even more is the fact that certain switchers, some of whom are ‘puliti u tal-pepe’ or ‘professjonisti’ (I have strong suspicions that the latter used to comment regularly on this very blog up until the John Dalli saga and since then changed her views completely, yet again) do not only believe it but are also repeating it on certain social networks and asking for the Prime Minister to take action.
X’injoranza ta’ poplu dan – kull gurnata li tghaddi sejrin dejjem mil-hazin ghal aghar.
Raphael Vassallo, pet subject, the right to suicide.
Where was Raphael Vassallo in 1998? Maybe he should find the cleaners of back then and ask them what they found found at Castile and what they had to clean and emtpy the cupboards from, The less said, the better.
The story invented by Raphael Vassallo was also challenged and denied on FB (ironically) by somebody who worked at Castille.
Don’t buy this newspaper. You’re just contributing to the salaries of so-called journalists who are working against what’s best for Malta.
Hasn’t it yet dawned on The Times that the PN is now in Opposition and should stop reloading and pointing its guns at it
Herrera did the same at the Manoel Theatre, one quick walkaround, with one of his aides returning after five minutes ordering everyone to pack their things, desks et al and relocate out of the main office.
“He wrote on Facebook – and for God’s sake would you all please stop doing this because Facebook is really not the appropriate medium for official communication about serious matters”
True Daphne, but there is very little recourse when lies get the red carpet treatment.
Look carefully at the photo.
One can see a tool kit on the right hand bottom corner, tape and a paring knife on the carton boxes, and data cables being removed in a careful way, being bundled together for easy transplanting somewhere else.
Whoever took this photo interrupted a perfectly professional way of moving office IT hardware.
Il-giddieb ghomru qasir.
Exactly.
Labour and frame-ups…they go way back, don’t they?
Isn’t anyone going to make an official statement about this?
Reading the Malta Today article as well as the Times of Malta comments-board – its revolutionary zeal (I thought the revolution had happened) without listening to the other side and whipping people into a lather is no help at all and really quite scary.
Raphael Vassallo as a responsible journalist should at least take charge.
[Daphne – Raphael Vassallo is not a ‘responsible journalist’. He is erratic, unpredictable and suffers from the Maltese male disease of becoming vicious when thwarted.]
Until then, no more The Times for me. Making a statement boldly and categorically would be a relief and a help and allow PN supporters to refute the mob.
Additionally, they haven’t removed the story, however, it has moved much further down the story queue.
I am truly fed up with The Times, and I have decided to stop buying it. Let’s show them that we disapprove by not buying it any longer.
Sur Gvern, now means business and stop moaning like an old lady. Zmien il-konfetti u l-bziezaq tas-sapun ghadda.
Malta kollha taghhom issa.
Ok, we will be turning to The Times to check their latest lies, rather than the truth and facts. Just as we used to do with ‘maltasatr.’
The Times is probably targeting the “mittel kless gdida” as its new audience.
Is this sort of story considered libellous? Seems like it to me if it’s not true.
As far as I know, no one from The Times has denied the rumour that on Monday or Tuesday eve certain “journalists” organised a party at their offices to celebrate the Labour victory and Joe Muscat together with Keith Kasco went to thank them personally.
Interesting.
In the afternoon of 10 March, The Times was keen to inform us that Barroso and Shulz had congratulated the new Prime Minister.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130310/elections-news/barroso-schulz-congratulate-muscat.460850
But on 13 March they did not tell us that Pyongyang had sent their congratulations to Joseph Muscat.
http://www.kcna.kp/kcna.user.article.retrieveNewsViewInfoList.kcmsf#this
(Top news, scroll to 13 March)
” Pyongyang, March 13 (KCNA) — DPRK Premier Choe Yong Rim Tuesday sent a congratulatory message to Joseph Muscat on his election as Maltese prime minister.
The message wished him success in his responsible work for the country’s socio-economic development, expressing belief that the long-standing friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries would grow stronger.”
Can The Times investigate what the message said in more detail?
Relations between Malta and the MLP have tended to be secretive in the past, even if they were of public interest. Did the congratulatory message contain any promises for free manure for distribution by the Ministry of Roderick Galdes this time? Or perhaps free arms for the new Ministry of National Security?
Maybe Sceberras Trigona’s dealing with Pyongyang:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/128167661/Alex-Sceberras-Trigona-Signs-a-Secret-Agreement-With-North-Korea
As I drift into the arena of early-onset Alzheimer’s, I find that The Times is making more sense and using nice and easy words.
Nice pictures too.
I think that instead of complaining about The Times, we should just stop buying it. It is about time that they get the message that this is not what its real readers want.
Totally agree; the message will only get across by not buying The Times any more. Up to now, timesofmalta.com is still available free of charge, albeit news stories now have a “Full story in the Times” streamer at the end.
The Malta Independent is slowly trying to fill the void of journalistic credibility in Malta.
http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2013-03-18/news/office-equipment-is-inventoried-cannot-simply-vanish-1194426368/
Seventeen years ago ‘sabu hofra’ so they couldn’t keep to their pre-electoral promises.
This time ‘sabu dizastru’ and once again pre-election promises will be broken.
They are in government now. It’s about time they started governing and not whimpering for help from the opposition in the guise of ‘Malta taghna lkoll’
Roll up your sleeves and get on with it. Five years is a very, very short time.
Every day that goes buy is a day with no Times of Malta for me.
I made the switch and stopped buying this Labour-leaning newspaper.
Another good reason why one should no longer buy The Times.
For those who have no idea how this works, Government is made up of the political office headed by the Minister and his secretariat and then there is the civil service (ic-civil). The ministry secretariat does everything through the official channels of government and therefore through the permanent secretary and the civil service. Although the Ministry decides, its the civil service which controls (in fact as every ministry knows this is usually the problem because of the slow pace at which the civil service works). Anyway a few weeks before the election, the Ministry starts preparing itself as though they are leaving for good. This is because there are several possibilities, the party in government could be voted out, the minister could be voted out or the minister could be given a different portfolio. In any case you need to leave a clean office and there is a chance you cannot go back to take stuff. So obviously anything personal must be removed. Documents and material which are not related to the ministry must also be removed. Once those are taken care of the Permanent secretary/civil service take stock of all the items that are in the ministry offices (this is done annually not only when there is an election, but it is done on the last day to ensure nothing goes missing). Once the inventory is made the offices are sealed. The incoming minister should find everything as it was left otherwise its the civil servants who are responsable. In recent years, because of the way IT has developed, the IT section within the ministry allows the secretariat staff to buy the computers they were using for a good price. This allows the Ministry to replenish its stock of computers in the process. As Chris Said already mentioned many computers are actually leased out which means that the computers are actually the property of the leasing company.
In any case the ex ministers should take action on this as it reflects very badly on them so if they know they did the right thing they need to clear their names asap.
And we had Gorg Vella complaining that he had no flowers to put in the vases, or was it vases to put the flowers in.
I wrote a comment to The Times about this case but it was not published. One has to be gullible to believe such stories.
I think The Times will soon have certain reporters handing in their resignation to go and get their fair share from this Labour win.
We must not forget that Joseph Muscat was caught red-handed conspiring with the RTK editor.
Other reporters (not journalists) had an interest not to point their spotlights on this scandal, they were in.
Il-hofra tal-2013.
After 40 years of buying The Times daily today I quit buying it and also removed the website from my favourites, and I feel much better.
me too :)
I think The Times is hijacked by Labour. I’m still reading it but I’m on the lookout and started to be a doubting Thomas when reading its reports.
It’s about time we counter the Labour elves and The Times and Malta Today.
Enough is enough.
I for one volunteer to incessantly contribute to the voice of truth by writing sincere honest comments on the The Times and Malta Today comments-board.
Not comments that will contradict what is being reported for the sake of it but comments which will set the record straight where necessary. We simply cannot allow this army of PL elves and journalists to manipulate the truth.
We have to fight back.
I agree with this comment. We should do more so that truth will prevail and to unveil these hypocrites.
We’re heading into the darkness sooner than I thought. And worse, most people do not understand it, as the new elected ones are masking this regress as best as they can.
Will your comments be uploaded? There have been numerous contributors on this blog who wrote that The Times censures their comments.
I sent comments which were not uploaded by The Times.
In one instance, they reported the release by Pulse but not even a mention of the SDM release on the same instance. Sent in a comment, but not uploaded.
Following the first exit polls in Italy’s latest elections indicating a victory of the left, the Times very happily announced in no time at all this possible shift to the Left, which later did not prove so true. Again I commented about how eager they were in highlighting this prediction – again not uploaded.
This is a free country, hoping that i really remains so. Thus let’s leave the Times to those whose fathers and forefathers burnt its premises and to the new forthcoming ‘middle class’.
P. S. Coming to think of it, and considering this change of course in behaviour, what is the role of the Strickland Foundation and its Chair who have some hold on the Times?
CB, I wish you the best of luck but what you are proposing has been attempted by many before and especially during the electoral campaign.
It was like running against a brick wall.
Nine times out of ten timesofmalta.com simply do not publish comments which go against their pro PL agenda.
Just don’t read The Times. Read The Malta Independent instead.
If The Times is determined to stick to a strategy of antagonising its long-time readers to please its new on-line audience, let it deal with the consequences.
I feel very sorry, and extremely angry, to note the subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) stances taken by The Times during these last months and the electoral campaign against the PN and in favour of the PL.
Such stances continued also after the election result.
Some journalists in its team make us wonder.
Was Joseph Muscat successful in hijacking the newspaper? Was there some other ‘schemer’ who stood to personally benefit from a PN defeat?
I cannot come to terms with the disregard of their readership base, relativism gone rampant when assessing occurrences and events and the plight towards historical revisionism (in line with other quarters, as the PL).
For these people, it is as if the burning of The Times on Black Monday did not happen and is some stupid fable of the past.
I, proud of being the son of an ex-Times employee, am to say the least very puzzled. I think we need to take the bold stand of reading something else and leaving it to the multitude of those who, unable to write a single word in English, inundate its webpages with their comments in Maltese. I’m sure that Mr Kasco and friends will be very happy.
I’m not buying The Times any more. It has upset me beyond measure.
Morra
I think the most disturbing part of the whole charade is this:
“Manning the ministerial secretariats had led to a serious haemorrhage at the Labour Party’s One TV with no journalists available to fill the rosters.”
Blurring the boundaries perhaps?
The most amusing part:
“When this week the Prime Minister ordered a sandwich, there was no one to take the order and when someone eventually did take the order, it took two hours for a sandwich to arrive.”
Miskin our portly PM was made to wait for his snack. To even think that this is worthy of mention to even the crappiest of rags like Malta Today shows how much he ‘suffered’.
http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/en/newsdetails/news/national/Prime-Minister-welcomed-by-Send-in-the-clowns-20130318
Miskin m’ghandux majkrowej fl-uffiiccju l-Prim Ministru biex isahhan il-minestra li tlestilu dik?
Tixtrux din il-gazzetta. Tpaxxux lill tat-Times. Aqrawha on-line jew ixtru “The Malta Independent”.
The Times website is no longer my first port of call. I now go to The Malta Independent site, especially since they revamped it and made it suitable for mobile.
The Strickland Foundation needs to regenerate itself and make some soul searching. The problem with foundations is that these can be taken over and then…
Mario de Marco sits on the Foundation board.
Here’s an extract from Times page 2
‘Mr Galdes, who had supplied this newspaper with four photos, said it was The Times that chose to publish the photo of an office that had not been occupied by Mr Puli’
note: ‘it was The Times that chose to publish’ – Well done Times of Malta :-(
The Times and Strickland Foundation next objective is to manoeuvre Mario Demarco as PN Leader, taf int ghax it-tifel ta’ Guido, ta.
This unfortunately is the shoddy reporting of our new breed of upcoming sensationalist journalists.
They do not have the decency to verify facts but they just gaggle out “news”.
They cannot make a distinction between a personal comment on Facebook and a newspaper report.
The editors have a finger in the pie of this crappy reporting as well. They should demand better standards. Unfortunately The Times moved from ultra conservative rigid reporting to a tabloid style where nothing really matters except creating sensationalism.
As they say the leopard does not change its spots. One question. Who really owns The Sunday Times/The Times?
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130319/local/puli-denies-galdes-office-mess-claim.462052
It-Times of Malta hija gazzetta Laburista.
If one looks at the photo in detail it appears that the office did not have the communication cables terminated. My impression is that work on the office was in progress, see also tools.
However it seems that with some cheap PR, Labour thought they could sell it off as vindictive actions by the outgoing government.
Is this really the best photo they could take of vandalised offices as claimed?
Or is this just a lame cover-up and excuse to justify any actions which would throw us back to the 80s?