More about Manuel ‘Faberge Egg’ Mallia’s cost-cutting exercise
The Sunday Times reports this morning:
Members of the police force were never used as caterers or waiters for events unrelated to the corps by the previous government, former Home Affairs Minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici told The Sunday Times of Malta.
Dr Mifsud Bonnici said the police force had its own kitchen and usually catered for internal dinners or lunches hosted by the Police Commissioner – but never for an event like the one held last Thursday.
Home Affairs Minister Manuel Mallia attracted widespread criticism after hosting a banquet on Thursday for European Broadcasting Union delegates at the Prime Minister’s official country residence in Girgenti.
The police force, which also falls under Dr Mallia’s political responsibility, provided food through its catering unit.
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http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130630/local/Mifsud-Bonnici-no-external-police-waiters-on-my-watch.475927
I wonder what that irrelevant Franco Debono has to say about all this saga. By the way, is he still on this island or what?
Under Carm Mifsud Bonnici, the police force was out of control and above the law. I think Dr Mallia, despite his shortcomings is a better leader of men, he has a stronger personality than Dr Carm Mifsud Bonnici and commands respect from his subordinates.
Dr Carm Mifsud Bonnici would better be quite now. He did not do a particularly good job when he was a minister.
Would you like to teach Hon Carm Mifsud Bonnici how to be a minister?
Yeah sure and Dr. Mallia is impressing everyone with his intelligence and strong fat personality. The only thing I agree with you is that Dr. Mifsud Bonnici was too goody goody.
By ‘a stronger personality’ do you mean a total disregard for the rules and a misplaced sense of entitlement?
But wait, one can clearly see what you mean when you go on to suggest that someone ‘would better be quiet now’.
Common denominator: arrogance
Dr Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici was a gentleman – and a very honourable one at that – not a fat boaster.
Do not try to compare him to the present minister of police, please.
By stronger personality do you mean hugging prisoners, while they sing Malta Taghna Lkoll?
At least Dr Carm Mifsud Bonnici did not do anything to go against democracy.
What do you mean by a stronger personality and better leader? That he tramples on all sort of democratic ethics with much more ease?
You know where the difference is? One is a gentleman and the other is a sorry excuse for a man.
Dr Mallia has stronger personality? Maybe because, according to you, personality is gauged by being much fatter and shorter than Dr Mifsud Bonnici?
I would urge the NP to ensure they enquire as to whether Manwel Mallia finds it specifically necessary to be tapping Carm’s phones, to keep tabs on his contacts and as to which people are providing him with what information.
So were Hitler and Mussolini during their heyday.
Yet more evidence of how Labour plans to do things differently.
The Sunday Times also carried the official reply from the Police, stating that the police waiters were all voluntary and paid extra. This misses the point entirely. Even if they were ‘off duty’ and ‘volunteering’ in their own time, while they were on duty as waiters at Minister Mallia’s pleasure, they were unavailable for their primary duty as police officers.
And, since we know that Minister Mallia also likes to sit in on interviews, we can only presume that he will also be present at the next police promotions selection meetings, too. So, who will get the promotions? The ones who are prepared to serve him as waiters or the ones who declined the opportunity to work at Girgenti?
And the fact that they were paid ‘extra’ to do so also raises a serious question. Was it extra, over and above their salary for that evening’s shift as police officers? This would mean that they WERE on duty police officers and they WERE diverted from regular police work.
Or does it mean that waiters in this country are paid more than police officers and that officers required the correct wage to do the work. No disrespect to waiters – I used to be one in my earlier student days – but if we live in a country where police are paid less than those who wait tables then the corruption flood gates have been flung open wide.
That is all beside the point. The policemen and women were either ordered to do the work or they volunteered to do it. In the former case, they should have refused to obey their commissioner’s orders. In the latter case the commissioner should have stopped them.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130630/local/-Minister-s-aide-told-police-to-arrest-me-.475922
OH ho ho … il-kbir ghadu gej. Min jaf x’Death Squad tal-genn ha jaghmlu l-Labour fil-futur jekk lanqas ghaddew erba xhur u diga qeghdin jippruvvaw jarrestaw n-nies bl-addoc.
Love the ministry’s statement this morning: they were ‘volunteers’ and ‘got paid for it’.
Paid volunteers! Has anyone ever heard of that?
Hawwadni ha nifhmek.
Did the vehicles and the fuel put in them from the police budget one would think, also volunteer their services to the minister?
This because one would think that the food prepared in Floriana was also driven to Girgenti by police officers, in police vehicles, using police fuel allowances.
Nice way to ‘reduce’ the budget on hosting. One could always convince Joe public that the money was used for his protection.
What really worries me is the fact that both the Minister and the Police Commissioner are giving statements regarding the money and payments involved in this matter.
Unfortunately, this is having the desired affect on people, since most comments everywhere are about payment and costs.
The most significant issue is not costs, but having the Minister responsible for the Police Force ordering/requesting/being requested to do so, police officers to carry out a job that is entirely out of their line of work and being met with agreement.
This is very dangerous and goes against democracy. This practice may very well lead us to the Golden Years’ way of doing things.