Nine years ago tomorrow, John Dalli, Malta’s foreign minister, was forced to resign. It’s time to revisit his resignation letter.
Between them, Malta Today and John Dalli have somehow managed to persuade themselves and the general public – which has a very short memory -that when Dalli resigned from his post as foreign minister in 2004, it was because of the infamous ‘Joe Zahra report’ which turned out to be fabricated.
But that is not why Dalli resigned.
Dalli was forced by PM Gonzi to step down when it came to light that the foreign ministry – which, as you can imagine, has quite a lot of use for air fares – had been instructed to buy its air tickets from a travel agency owned by Claire Gauci Borda, who must have been in her 20s at the time.
You will, of course, have deduced who the real owner was, even if not technically, legally or on paper.
The blacklisted and very shady IRISL (Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines) had also been ‘advised’ to use a Maltese shipping agency owned by….you’ve guessed it, Claire Gauci Borda.
You can read John Dalli’s resignation letter here John Dalli’s resignation letter July 2004
While doing so, do note the first signs of what went on to become a repeated pattern of paranoia, persecution mania, blaming others and refusal to admit blame or guilt. This time, his persecutors are the very ones who are now his closest allies – the Labour Party.
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Reply to the saint Click here to cancel reply
SMS were livid at the time because they had always represented IRISL and shipping companies hardly ever change agents. There was certainly some arm twisting going on. Later on Irisl Malta (Claire Gauci Borda) were deeply involved in the setting up of shell companies to circumvent the trade embargoes on Iran.
My impression is that all through this Dalli saga spanning as you have rightly pointed out a total of 9 years I am more than convinced that Dr Gonzi was more than fully aware of all the self inflicted mishaps of Mr Dalli but out of courtesy and manners he kept his mouth shut.
Finally the main actor had enough rope to hang himself.
[Daphne – It’s been going on a lot longer than nine years.]
That’s exactly what I was arguing this afternoon and that’s exactly how I remember it.
I can now say “I told you so” to those who contradicted me. Thanks, Daphne.
Sometimes the Malta scene is like something from “Through the Looking Glass”. When will people realize that this is not about Kessler, Schembri, Zammit, Zahra, Barroso or Camilleri but only about John Dalli and his misdeeds?
And that Dalli may not have committed any criminal act but he has sorely brought the Commission as an institution (and Malta in the process) into disrepute?
It’s no rocket science but just plain old common sense.
“had been instructed to buy its air tickets from a travel agency owned by Claire Gauci Borda”
“I declared that I do not have any bank accounts in any other jurisdiction except in Brussels where I received payments from the Commission and in Malta where my pension payment is deposited.”
“I am prepared to give a power of attorney to a trusted individual to make all the checks with any or all the banks in the Bahamas to verify this,”
Now where am I missing something?
The shady deals with IRISL might be bigger than a simple use of a Maltese agency owned by Dalli’s daughter.
Malta’s name might be tarnished further thanks to Dalli.
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/d09260fc-a89c-11df-86dd-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2XvTJR1JC
The Tourist Resources scandal
John Dalli ma jiffunzjonax f’ambjent fejn il-hin kollu kellu bzonn jipprotegi dahru minn dawk l-attakki kollha kontra l-familjari tieghu.
Ghaliex inholqu dawn l-attakki?
Ghaliex kienu jattakkawh?
Min holoqhom dawn l-attakki?
Issa jista’ jghidilna l-verita’ kollha ghax Joseph Muscat jiddefendih qieghed il-hin kollu, u anke dwar il kaz ta’ SNUZ, sa hansitra anke l-Pulizija tal-Labour idefendietu. Mela jista’ facilment jghid il-verita’.