Manuel Mallia appoints one of his law firm’s lawyers to the chair of a prison board

Published: July 24, 2013 at 1:29pm

The names of the new members of the Prison Visitors Board have been released. The chairman of the board is one Maria Cardona, a lawyer who used to be married to Minister for the Economy and lapdancing fanatic Chris Cardona.

But that’s by way of interest, as it isn’t the point. The real news is that Dr Cardona is a lawyer who works with Emmanuel Mallia & Associates – in other words, she’s taking care of the Police, Prison and Army Minister’s clients while he is otherwise engaged.

So now we have a lawyer working with a criminal defence practice that has a large client base of Malta’s worst criminals, some of whom are in prison, chairing the Prison Visitors Board and handpicked to do so by the man who owns the law practice for which she works, and who is now the minister responsible for the police and yes, the prisons.

It just gets worse, doesn’t it.




43 Comments Comment

  1. Alexander Ball says:

    Where the f**k is Simon Busuttil?

    • Liberal says:

      Taking a nap.

    • The Sting says:

      I would rather say “where the f***k is Joseph Muscat?”

      All this is being done right under his nose and gives one the impression that he’s now been completely taken over by his cabinet and cannot manage the situation at all.

  2. Galian says:

    Shall we contact the Guiness Book of World Records for the most conflicts of interest attached to one post?

  3. edgar says:

    Cannot see how it can get worse. He has hit rock bottom and somehow still sinking.

  4. What? says:

    It sure does, as expected really.

  5. johannes says:

    Just when you think it can’t get worse, they quickly rush in and prove us all wrong. Obviously, there is a bottomless pit of how low they can go.

    You’re right. It’s going to be a very, very long 5 years.

  6. Mike Ellul says:

    Back to the golden years! This is what people voted for.

    Repeating the same mistakes, expecting different results.

  7. beingpressed says:

    What do people do on a prison visitors board?

  8. La Redoute says:

    Two of Minister Mallia’s most notorious clients are dead. The body of one has had to be exhumed because the burial was too hasty. Another of the Minister’s former clients, who is related to both murder victims, is still alive. Those accused of the murders are in jail awaiting trial. Mallia’s now appointed his associate on the Prison Visitors Board. His position as Minister is untenable. Why is he still there?

  9. BLA KANTUNIERI says:

    I think that Manuel Mallia has really and truly lost the plot. The daily insanities coming out of his ministry are beyond belief.

    Joseph Muscathad better take action and clip this guy’s wings once and for all and while at it Muscat should also see to ‘you know who I am’ Scerri as well.

  10. alfred zammit says:

    SHAME,SHAME ,SHAME, DAWN m’ghandhomx zejt f’wicchom! Dr. Muscat ma tridx tghid li taqbel ma’ din ukoll hux?

  11. tinn says:

    And Joseph Muscat is afraid to control him.

  12. Oh Dear Me says:

    Is Dr Mallia deliberately trying to make things worse and worse for himself?

    • Min Jaf says:

      Whatever. But certainly better and better for criminal clients and prospective clients of Emmanuel Mallia & Associates, guaranteed ‘qaddis’ available at every stage of due process.

    • Francis Saliba MD says:

      No! Not for Dr Mallia himself, not for the criminal community and not for law firms who defend them and try to keep them in circulation and out of prison. Things are only being made worse for the Prime Minister himself and the misguided electors who voted for him.

    • RJC says:

      If he keeps going like this, people will soon begin thinking that he’s in cahoots with the Opposition.

  13. Jar Jar says:

    Mallia increasingly looks like a black hole – sucking in outrage after mishap after outrage. Methinks Herrera is laughing all the way – to a ministerial post. Can’t bear thinking about it but Joseph is facing the same problem as Dr Gonzi – lack of talent.

    • trapezoid says:

      Both Muscat and Gonzi had the same problem – lack of talented MPs from whom to choose the Cabinet. But that is where the similarities end.

      Gonzi chose a small Cabinet ensuring that the selected ministers and parliamentary secretaries were people who deliver. People with all talk and no substance were left out.

      Muscat approached the problem differently. He has brought almost everybody into Cabinet irrespective of talent.

  14. michael seychell says:

    This government is moving fast – or rather much faster then I used to believe – to take our country back to the late 70s and the 80s. According to the Eurombarometer survey, the Maltese are positive about their goverment, but the survey must have been carried out among those who have received their iced buns from J.M. and his rich ministers.

    • Min Jaf says:

      No, among those who had voted Labour just a short time before the survey and who have not yet cottoned on to the disaster that they have brought upon themselves and upon us all.

  15. il-Hsieb tar-Ronnie says:

    Is the prime minister asleep? Or is he pretending to be asleep?

    If Dr Mallia was a Nationalist minister, Labour would already have called for his resignation.

    He has already qualified himself summa cum laude to be shown the door with all the fiascos he has been committing. But of course, Labour’s performance has to be measured by a yardstick different from that used for any Nationalist administration. Really tragic …and comic.

  16. Max232 says:

    But is it possible that no one from the mainstream media picks up these details? Are we nuts or what?

    The standard between what is acceptable and not acceptable in this country of ours is revolting, and I cannot accept the fact that these leeches act in a carte blanche mode as our journalists do not nail them to a bloody wall.

  17. Jozef says:

    Sorry about this, but there’s no stopping them.

    http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/en/newsdetails/news/national/Delimara-gas-plant-7-300-square-metre-jetty-to-be-constructed-for-LNG-ship-20130724

    So now a permit can be transferred between companies. No it doesn’t.

    And if I were a bidder I’d make sure my offer covered any risk.

    Given that offers were made when the options are still at screening stage that would make it what, a good 50%?

    Not really the most economic of tenders then, still it’s only taxpayer’s money.

    Love the way they’ve come round to building a 7,300sqm jetty. Remember that ex-chairman architect declaring there was no need, that foundations are sound?

    Or when Muscat promised he’d demolish the chimney, something about getting two kids from the area to push the button?

    Turns out he’s putting one up himself, 80 meters high. Majtezwel keep the old one. Gvern bil-ghaqal hekk jaghmel Guz.

    And isn’t the tanker pretty? I’d say 300 meters minimum.

    ‘..In the first option, Option A, two gas storage tanks over 36 metres high are located on disturbed land on the Delimara site, while the regasification plant, including an 80 metre high chimney is located near the present present power station.

    In Option B, a storage vessel is anchored next to the jetty and the regasification plant and chimney are located near the present power station.

    In Option C, the vessel is also anchored next to the jetty, while the regasification plant and chimney are located on disturbed land identified for the storage tanks in option A.

    In all three options, the jetty would jut out from the disturbed area in the direction of Fort Delimara.

    Plans presented by the Labour Party before the general election did not make any reference to the construction of a jetty or to the offshore storage of gas on a vessel berthed to the jetty…….’

    You don’t say Saviour. Jahasra.

    Bailout next year. Max.

  18. Tracy says:

    Qabel kellna lil KMB = 0, issa ghandna lil JM = 00 ghax kulhadd qed jaghmel li jrid bih.

  19. Tweedledid says:

    Hmmm
    http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20120519/local/Paceville-group-aims-to-tidy-town.420346

    Wonder if her ex introduced her and manwel to these clients.

  20. francesca says:

    Dawn l-affarijiet qed jurunha kemm Muscat rrid iqqarraq bil-poplu qabel l-elezzjoni.

    Dak li kien imaqqdar issa qed ihallieh ikompli issir.

    Ma hemm x’wiehed ihabbel rasu, ghax tidher cara daqs il-kristall li Muscat qed jibza minn Mallia. Mallia ghandu poter kbir jidher u hadd, lanqas deputati ohra, ma jistaw ghalih.

    Ghalhekk hemm bzonn li l-oppozzizjoni tirribella ghall din il-mossa mill-iktar fis possibbli.

  21. Francis Saliba MD says:

    Evidently, Emmanuel Mallia & Associates looks after the criminal class from the cradle to the grave, through the perils of the law courts, while in prison, next to an early release from prison and when everything else fails, to rest on a mortuary slab followed by a prompt burial without customary delays.

    It is a great pity that there is no corresponding earnest commitment to protect the law-abiding citizen.

  22. Ketchup says:

    Ok now…..let’s start placing bets on which company will be given the go-ahead.

  23. ms M says:

    Dan bis-serjeta! Sur ministru, ma jidirlekx li hemm ‘ftit’ kunflitt ta’ interess? Kultant nahseb li l-ministru Manuel Mallia qed jipprova jaghmel guff fil gimgha, u jekk dan hu l kaz qed jirnexxilu.

  24. P Shaw says:

    Times of Malta is really busy with the oil scandal. Still.

  25. pluribus says:

    Dear Daphne you are doing sterling work, but where is the opposition? We all remember the fearless Dr Fench Adami and Dr Lawrence Gonzi. Where is the Nationalist Party?

  26. joe says:

    Manuel Mallia jipretendi li hu fuq kulhadd u hadd ma jista ghalih.

  27. Socrates says:

    While it is quite understandable that the recently appointed PN leader, Simon Busuttil, has a mammoth task ahead of him in re-building the PN and to lead the Opposition in Parliament, he and his team need to wake up an assume a more energetic approach to the fast-growing ethical neglect and political mess that PL is responsible for.

    We have no true government. At least let’s have a determined PN that is willing and prepared to speak out vociferously whenever this is required.

  28. janni says:

    The Minister for National Security is turning out to be quite a bit of a threat to national security.

  29. Pierre Darmanin says:

    Some conflict of interest .. First we defend criminals and make millions from their pockets and their families dying of hunger and then all of a sudden we actually take it against such criminals ../ purcinelli

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