The switchers have gone underground already, and who can blame them
The Minister for Justice and the Police hugs a criminal inmate of the Corradino Prisons, presumably because he is/was his client.
This is got to be among the top 10 of Labour’s first 100 days in government. The PS for Culture, Jose Herrera, announces three carnivals a year and new legislation to permit live sex shows.
Meanwhile, his nemesis, the Minister for Justice, the Police, the Army and Broadcasting (National Security) announces an amnesty for all prisoners except paedophiles (because it’s OK to stab your girlfriend 50 times until she dies, in front of your child, but not OK to flash that child) to celebrate the Labour victory.
And as if that were not bad enough, instead of announcing it by the proper expedient of a press conference in his building, he goes to the prisons and takes the media with him, where they find a full set-up ready and waiting, with all the prisoners massed in the courtyard to greet the minister, clapping, cheering and singing ‘Malta taghna lkoll’, and he moves through the crowd while a heroic soundtrack plays, because those prisoners have watched too many American films.
Manuel Mallia hugs and embraces prisoners who are/were very obviously his clients as a trial lawyer, and he looks very happy and at home, and….shocking.
Shockingly undignified.
Shockingly worst-of-Palermo.
Shockingly exposed to the obvious accusations of conflict of interest.
Shockingly oblivious to the victims of those criminals.
Shockingly ignorant of the fact that normal people don’t want to see their Minister of Justice chummily hugging and kissing criminals.
Shockingly disgusting – a standards-free zone, which makes me understand now why he feels so much more at home with Labour.
I am appalled. Yes, truly appalled. I just could not believe that it is possible for such things to happen while we watch, stunned with disbelief, barely able to bridge the unquantifiable distance between what is happening now and what we complained about then.
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http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130604/local/amnesty.472498
Scum with scum.
Some of the prisoners are very good clients as well.
I know from contacts that criminal-cases lawyers hold that as gospel truth.
With the prison population being over 640 in a place designed for not more than 500, this measure was the cheapest one.
The guy hugging Mallia is Sandro Schrmbri Adami, who’s in for fraud.
It will only be temporary as my guess is not more than 30 inmates will be out at once with this ‘Malta Taghna for show’ measure.
Dr Mallia knows that amnesties with whatever conditions he appies to the word do not mean rehabilitation.
What’s interesting is how he put the whole reponsibilty on the government’s back and not just his as he knows that recidivism is around 75% and the opposition will be out for his blood the moment the first guy re-appears in court on a GBH.
So to celebrate a Labour victory honest hard working citizens get a transfer and criminals get a reward.
He is hugging Sandro Schembri Adami
An ex-PN fan, an ex-MP for Labour, and a dishonoured notary public doing time for fraud and abusing of the trust of his clients.
It reminds me of the historic bear-hug between Brezhnev and the East German President of some decades ago.
Dunno, but i think nowhere in the world would the Justice Minister, for obvious security reasons, even dare to walk and stand so close to a large number of prisoners. Unless he considers himself one of them. Which he probably does.
This is what happens in a civilised democratic country like the UK. Manuel Mallia, why is your client hugging you? By any chance was he recently imprisoned and knew about the amnesty?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-22772735
One may deduce therefore that the crime rate the PL so used to make claims about was effectively the work of much of the PL clan given their chanting and support of the minister.
See, they are all PL supporters. No wonder we have so much crime around…. the children of crime personified, Lorry Sant himself.
Dak mhux Sandro Schembri Adami, the guy whom Manuel Mallia is hugging??
I am only appalled by the fact that the Maltese didn’t see that coming. As for their actions – as the Maltese say “lil min tafu tistaqsiex ghalih”.
Once again Mallia has gone a step further than Herrera – it’s carnival (of the black sort) all year round.
And the 100 day amnesty will inevitably lead to the release of prisoners en masse, which is neither good for their re-integration in society, or for society itself.
Another ill-conceived stunt by a government with a stunted mentality.
It will soon be advertised as evidence of the Minister’s success in instant crime reduction by quoting a drop in the prison population now that he is no longer to actually prevent the incarceration of criminals by his forensic skill..
Mallia whispers ‘if you’d used me for your defence, you wouldn’t be here so call me after I’ve got you out early’.
The convict hugging Minister Mallia is former Labour MP Sandro Schembri Adami.
I wonder, why isn’t civil society mobilising itself to express alarm at these developments? Give me a proper avenue to express my concern, and I would do it wholeheartedly.
Inmates are delighted with the amnesty.
I wonder how their victims are feeling at the moment. Pretty sure no amnesty will be thrown at them.
TVAM, this morning. Manuel Mallia appeared on this morning show before giving out details on the amnesty in parliament.
When he was asked questions by journalists yesterday, he felt it was not prudent to answer certain questions before today’s session in parliament. Therefore, why did he go on TVAM?
He must have read this blog because he called those who think there is a conflict of interest, people with a ‘mentalita’ meskina’. You know, he said that his forma mentis is now that of a minister and not of a criminal lawyer.
Is the minister aware that we could see a faint halo around his head when he was giving out his explanations or was it my television set?
That’s nice, very nice indeed ! Now we can all feel comfortable and secure knowing whose side of Justice our Minister is on.
Body contact with prisoners, over-familiar hugging and embracing is behaviour most inappropriate. Shame on him.
My comment appearing under the item “True, but then Labour gets away with murder” which appeared on June 5 at 05.22 am applies, more directly so, to this item.
Your comment about the inappropriateness of making a distinction between paedophiles and ALL the other convicted criminals in Corradino is extremely pertinent.
Is the man being hugged in the picture Notary Sandro Schembri Adami?
Yes.
Ah, so he is this guy.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20080807/local/sandro-schembri-adami-again-found-guilty-of-misappropriation.219746
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20111123/local/notary-sandro-schembri-adami-jailed.395171
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20121120/local/court-asks-schembri-adami-to-reconsider.446185
What kind of security is there in prison – prisoners milling around cameramen and officials while the Minister hugs one othem?
Is this supposed to make us feel safe. Does this help the prison wardens in their job of controlling prisons who know that the responsible minister is on their side? + the photo above would be ground for resignation in any other country.
The Minister responsible for Justice does not go around hugging prisons – convicted prisoners at that – in the prison yard. Tal-biki … and he’s totally oblivious to the feelings of the victims/families. “Labour – partit tal-kriminali … ħawwad ħalli tkun wieħed minna”
This amnesty given by the minister of “Justice” is a grave injustice towards the victims of these criminals.
The sooner they are out the faster they return to their business and the sooner they return as clients.
I am too appalled for words — not just by what Mallia has done, but also that not everybody else on this island is appalled beyond words.
‘Criminal lawyer’ and ‘Minister of Justice’ in the same sentence (person) is a classic oxymoron.