Meanwhile, the prime minister tries to persuade us that he doesn’t have a problem with Dalli
Times of Malta reports:
The European Commission is delving deeper into the trips and ‘charitable consultancies’ made by John Dalli in the Bahamas to establish whether he breached the code of conduct for commissioners when in office.
If this is found to be the case, the Commission might decide to start procedures in front of the European Court of Justice to terminate Mr Dalli’s allowances and pension rights afforded to Brussels functionaries.
[…]
Asked whether Josè Manuel Barroso was aware of Mr Dalli’s Bahamas activities, a Commission spokesman said Mr Dalli had never informed the president of his activities in the Bahamas.
“President Barroso was not aware of former Commissioner Dalli’s alleged external activities while in office,” the spokesperson said.
“The Commission does not dispose of all the necessary information to assess the compatibility of the alleged external activities with the code of conduct of commissioners and is awaiting further information.”
Asked whether the Commission intends to take any actions against Mr Dalli, Mr Barroso’s spokesperson said that: “Not having been aware of these activities, the Commission is now seeking information about them to asses them against the code of conduct.”
According to the Commission, Mr Dalli is entitled to a transitional allowance of more than €9,000 monthly until October 2015. When he is 65, Mr Dalli will also become eligible for a further €2,311 a month pension.
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http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130715/local/Brussels-to-investigate-ethics-of-Dalli-trips.477993
If there is anybody in Malta who still thinks that John Dalli BA made three trips to the Bahamas for charity purposes, then please speak up.
What’s needed is not an investigation into ethics but an investigation into possible money laundering. The secrecy, the shady people involved and the elaborate plans to evade detection all lead to me something criminal in nature.
The allowances and pension are not bad for a self-proclaimed prison inmate.
With compound interest over twenty years it works out at one million euros.
Times of Malta:
“A Daily Mail journalist asked whether, in a Catholic country such as Malta, there was disquiet over the Pope’s comments on migration.
Dr Muscat said he did not hear a single word of criticism.”
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130715/local/muscat-discusses-migration-with-greek-pm-in-phone-call.478084
” He did not hear a single word of criticism.”
So he must have stayed at home with the kids watching cartoons, as he says he normally does.
Dr Muscat was born with a special feature which is not found in other human beings – a filter which ensures that he never hears anything negative about himself, his actions or his decisions;
Have you ever heard of the expression “Imnejjek minn guf ommu”? I would consider it the Maltese equivalent of Josette’s pen portrait.
Well, I guess if they had found out about the trips before he resigned, they could have sacked him.
No wonder he kept it secret.
Having said that, the expenses claim for the July trip could have alerted someone in the EU. But wow, over 2000 a month pension is no chicken feed to lose out on. I’m gutted for him.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130715/local/cardona-i-wanted-more-transparency.478086
http://www.inewsmalta.com/dart/20130714-ma-kien-hemm-ebda-tender-il-ministeru-tal-ekonomija-jwie-eb
X’kuntrast fiz-zewg artikli. Plus li inews (laburisti) lanqas biss irrapurtaw xejn qabel imam wara biex jidefenduh.
Plus l-arroganza ta’ dan il-Ministru jsemmielu lil huh u @ 0.40 tal-video tat-times
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130715/local/cardona-i-wanted-more-transparency.478086
@3.26 ‘issa naraw min ghaddijomlok’
u miskin hu
Il-vapur qed jeghreq. Joseph ara jssibx iehor.
John Dalli needs to do lots of explaining and clarify completely this whole saga to at least try to recover some of the business reputation for his children.
He has always been a wheeler dealer, IRISL springs to mind but one has to be truly gullible to believe that all this scheming has been done purely for charity and compassion to the poor Africans.
It seems there was big money to be had and on the quiet, Big Daddy had to intervene to ensure that the cat won’t run out of the bag.
Yes, he will solve this too like the snus storm. Halli f’idejja.
How naive.
Joseph irid li l-Ewropa ix-xomm il-kafe, izda nahseb xammet xi haga tinten aktar fuq il-mawriet ta’ Dalli fil-Bahamas.
http://caribbeantrading.com/convention-group-gifts/wp-content/uploads/burlap-bag-7.jpg
Xammet kafe maħruq u jinten seba’ pesti.
True, but the Prime Minister Joseph Muscat is in Italy right now, faced with another crisis of his own making – immigration.
The local media reported that he is to have talks with Italian PM Letta about immigrants and other matters.
This visit in Italy could not come at a worse time for the PM who just last week did not rule out the violation of the fundamental human rights of immigrants by denying them asylum and through the use of push-back. It was only after an order of the European Court of Human Rights that he was compelled to “change direction.”
Just yesterday, Italian media reported how senator Roberto Calderoli, a prominent politician from the xenophobe movement Lega Nord, insulted one of Letta’s Ministers, the country’s first black Minister, Cecile Kyenge, by comparing her to an orangutan.
There were immediate calls on the social media for the resignation of the Italian senator, but for now Italy and the Minister have his apologies.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-23310837
Meanwhile, here in Malta, our Prime Minister had spent the previous two weeks fanning the flames of racism on the basis of colour and origin of African immigrants.
But in any case, Muscat is unlikely to find any support for his push-back policy in Italy.
The current Minister of Foreign Affairs of Italy is Emma Bonino, from the Italian Radicals. Her position on immigration is very clear: Italy needs immigrants, and Europe must adopt a policy of integration.
See from 14.10 onwards here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ry3S5BunZfE
In fact, now that the first reports about the PM’s visit in Italy have emerged (below), it is clear that he did not find, or does not expect to find, any support for push-back, and what’s worse, it seems that the PM has been saying one thing here at home for populism, and is saying different things to foreigners, where he is exposed to the international media.
http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2013-07-15/news/my-government-is-keen-on-migrant-integration-pm-2078900225/
Oh, he is speaking of integration now. Ah, maybe he has woken up and smelled the coffee – now who said that only last week?
In the past two weeks, we were so shocked with the events as they unfolded, that we forgot an important detail.
Can you imagine Joseph Muscat pushing THEM back?
http://0.tqn.com/d/chicago/1/0/N/8/-/-/81390668_10.jpg
Muscat copied all the style and ideas of America’s first black President – including the idea of having the ‘first lady’ in the electoral campaign and the teleprompters – and now Muscat tells us that he does not rule out the violation of human rights of black African immigrants.
Was wondering when this sod would be given another dedicated article.
Josephmuscat.com definitely has a problem with Dalli, even though their behaviour patterns are very much a Manifest Destiny behaviour.
Dalli might have put Joseph in just about the worst position, all because of the fact that Joseph promised him something in the October 2012 call.
Meritocracy, transparency… yeah right.
I think that it’s about time that the Prime Minister wakes up and smells John Dalli…
Nothing to do with above. John Bundy got his iced bun.
And it truly is HIS iced bun going by the name of “Ta’ Bundy”.
What did they give him?
Tghid mhux li jkanta “Pajjiz tal-Mickey Mouse” fil-Eurovision Song Contest?
Ghandu il-programm TIEGHU ta’ fil-ghaxija fuq TVM flok TV Hemm ta’ Norman Vella.
Is there anyone around who is keen to issue a “waiver” from observing the code of conduct of EU Commissioners and effective retroactively?
On a different note, see http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/en/newsdetails/news/national/On-migration-Muscat-hints-that-Malta-must-get-its-numbers-right-20130715
“We stamped our feet” – doesn’t he realize that stamping one’s feet is what children do during a tantrum or in frustration when they do not get away?
It is hardly likely to elicit respect, fear or cooperation – same as when that gesture is used in childhood.
Are the general population here impressed by little hissy fits? Do they believe this brings honour to Malta, or results?
On a different note, see http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/en/newsdetails/news/national/On-migration-Muscat-hints-that-Malta-must-get-its-numbers-right-20130715
“We stamped our feet” – doesn’t he realize that stamping one’s feet is what children do during a tantrum or in frustration when they do not get their way?
It is hardly likely to elicit respect, fear or cooperation – same as when that gesture is used in childhood.
Are the general population here impressed by little hissy fits? Do they believe this brings honour to Malta, or results?
Can we assume that the Maltese police are also investigating the connection between Mr Dalli and the lady with several names/passports and also whether there are any financial irregularities involving companies with mysterious directors which are registered at addresses which have a Dalli family connection?
“We stamped our feet.” – Joseph Muscat
http://images.sodahead.com/polls/001389373/PCH_028C_answer_1_xlarge.jpeg
Oops, sorry, wrong link. Here.
http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/en/newsdetails/news/national/On-migration-Muscat-hints-that-Malta-must-get-its-numbers-right-20130715
Suggestion to clowns: When in deep sh*t, do not stamp feet.
What’s next? http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130715/local/norman-lowell-has-sentence-reduced.478103
After the first comment promising him a vote at the MEP elections, I had to laugh. After reading a second and third similar comment, I started feeling uneasy.
I wonder, are there so many brainwashed and hysterical people who would actually vote for this guy?
Is there a real chance of seeing him elected to the European Parliament (sounds pretty surreal to me)?
Malta’s current situation in international politics is already quite embarassing, having Lowell as an MEP would be a catastrophe. Total humiliation.
This wave of hysteria is getting out of hand.
It would be great if he joins the Labour party and is elected as an MEP.
Alongside Alfred Sant and Cyrus Engerer.
Naaah. Norman Lowell is taking advantage of the daily headlines. The moment the big parties begin their campaigns his votes would begin to decline slowly as other bigger issues take center-field.
I think that the thanksgiving mass Mr Dalli organised in the Parish Church of Saint Sebastian, Qormi was more a thanksgiving mass for the lull before a furious tempest, as it proved to be premature.
Now we have the right to know the pay packet plus perks for Dalli’s virtual ministerial post and while at it, John Bundy’s salary for his show on TVM. A sector of our media was scandalised that TVHemm host Norman Vella got some €32,000 annually for his programme. One expects that John Bundy gets €20,000.
Really difficult to understand how a European Commissioner can travel across the Atlantic without informing his peers and/or superiors.
Basic etiquette rules in management. Commissioners should lead by example. Commissioners are on call 24 x 7, even when on holiday and hence their whereabouts are important for the smooth running of the Commission.
In private organizations a manager or CEO would have been instantly fired if he/ she did this and not on holiday.
Quoting from today’s Malta Today: “The prime minister also denied having attempted to carry out pushbacks that was stopped at the eleventh hour by the European Court of Human Rights.”
This quote was taken from an article regarding his meeting with Enrico Letta.
“Not having been aware of these activities, the Commission is now seeking information about them to asses them against the code of conduct.”
What a sheer waste of EU resources. In Malta, presented with the same situation, Joseph Muscat calls Mr Dalli in for coffee at Castille, hears him out (ghax ‘gvern li jisma’) and decrees that all’s well and Mr Dalli can go on in his health consultant’s role.
Can’t Mr Barroso do the same?
And if for argument’s sake Mr Dalli did breach the code of ethics can’t he just grant him a waiver a la Dr Mercieca? Or better still, couldn’t Mr Barroso throw his rule book out of the window because it’s like a briksa and too long to read?
Why can’t Mr Barroso be like our Prime Minister, modern and accountable?