Oh dear God, what a scandal. WHAT a scandal.
Ex police commissioner John Rizzo said when giving evidence in court this morning that he had wanted to arraign John Dalli and had planned to do so.
He said that both he and the Attorney-General are of the view that there is enough evidence to prosecute Dalli on corruption-related charges in the ‘snus’ bribery scandal.
But Mr Rizzo was never able to do so because the Labour government removed him immediately on coming to power and replaced him with its stooge, Peter Paul Zammit, whose first act as police commissioner was to declare that the case against Dalli is closed.
The prime minister then immediately appointed Dalli as the government’s lead consultant on health care, and de facto health minister, with an office at the general hospital and full control of systems. And when the ‘millions in the Bahamas’ scandal erupted some days later, the prime minister told us that he believed John Dalli.
Oh indeed. I think it’s not so much that he believes John Dalli as that he has no choice but to say he does, because those two clearly struck a deal way back, a deal to help each other to power.
But we knew it, didn’t we. It was so bloody obvious that Dalli had holed himself up in ‘Brussels’ – who knows where he was, really – with his fake medical certificates from an untraceable psychiatrist that said he couldn’t get on a plane until the second week of March, purely to evade justice and John Rizzo’s clutches.
Just as it was bloody obvious that he did so in full cooperation with, and with the support of, Opposition leader and now prime minister Joseph Muscat. How corrupt.
And it was obvious, too, when the Labour government removed Rizzo immediately on coming to power that it had done so literally to stop him prosecuting Dalli. The prime minister couldn’t order him not to prosecute, so he removed him instead. And the replacement stooge, Zammit, had obviously discussed the matter with the government before his appointment.
The give-away clue, the one that set alarm bells ringing? The fact that it was the first thing he talked about when he was made commissioner, unprompted by the media: ‘We will not be prosecuting Dalli. The case against him is closed.’ He hadn’t even had time to read the file yet, or interview people, and he hadn’t even spoken to his predecessor to see what he thought.
The people who voted for this kind of corruption and abuse – it can’t not have been staring them in the face just as it was with me – while banging on about the ‘evils’ of the Nationalist government, really need to have their heads examined. And if this statement offends them, I don’t give a damn.
Just as they clearly didn’t give a damn about voting for the corrupt and inept because they had decided that they WOULD NOT see the corruption and ineptitude and the already-sown seeds of major scandal. Admitting to not seeing this coming is like admitting to having the intelligence quotient of somebody who will never scrape through a mathematics O-level. You know who you are.
Muscat was the first person Dalli rang when he came out of Barroso’s office after being given half an hour to clear his desk. He rang him immediately he was out of Barroso’s door.
Muscat had Dalli on the Labour Party’s television station for two years at least leading up to the election: an EU Commissioner, ranting and raving against the government of an EU member state, on the television station owned by the Opposition. Who does that?
The fact that the Labour Party cooperated with an EU Commissioner in the degradation of his role should have told you what sort of people they are and what kind of ethical standards they adhere to. Let the uneducated in their village bars think such behaviour cunning and ‘wajs’ – those who had the advantage of a proper upbringing should have known better about what that kind of thing means.
Just a few days before the election, when he knew that Police Commissioner John Rizzo had other things on his mind (like having me arrested on the eve of polling day for uploading two videos about Joseph Muscat) and wouldn’t be rushing his arraignment in election week, Dalli flew back quietly to Malta – to add his vote to the many voting Labour.
And the rest is history. Well done, those of you who voted for this corruption. Rest assured that you’ll have your noses rubbed in it for a long time to come, and boy, do you deserve it.
Read Times of Malta’s report in the link below.
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http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130926/local/former-commissioner-says-he-had-wanted-to-arraign-john-dalli.487849
The brown staff is hitting the fan for John Dalli and his position as defacto Minister of Health (with his daughter as his chief of staff) is untenable.
Dalli’s position as de facto Health Minister was untenable from the start, a) because his shocking behaviour was already known and b) because his appointment wasn’t formalised by a contract stating his terms of reference, defining his accountability and delineating the limits of his powers.
Has the possibility not occurred to you that the former CoP might have wanted to charge Dalli only because that was what the former administration expected of him, and likewise that the current CoP may be acting on the expectations of the current PM?
This is one of those cases where you can easily concoct a criminal charge out of “unambiguous pieces of circumstantial evidence” (flimsy Kesslerism), but then it eventually falls flat in court when other circumstances come to defy the logic behind the prosecution’s case, such as the fact that there was nothing Dalli could have delivered at that stage; or that the bribe was ridiculously out of proportion to any help he could afford, if any; or that there were clear signs of entrapment, at least on the lobbyists’ part (let’s forgive Barroso’s and OLAF’s ‘enthusiasm’).
This spectacle has effectively delayed the legislative process to the benefit of the tobacco industry in general – to the tune of billions of euros, according to Green MEPs. This would not have helped the prosecution’s case, either.
Has the possibility not occurred to you that Dalli might be as guilty as hell, which is why he avoided prosecution?
That might be asking too much. You’d have to first admit to voting in this truckload of crap.
Has the possibility not occurred to you that I might not have been on the Archimaltipelago on election day?
The “truckload of crap” you speak of is your response to my points on Dalli and flimsy Kesslerism.
@ Kev
The former Commissioner of Police wasn’t planning to prosecute Dalli by simply reading OLAF’s report. He must have done his own investigations, his own verifications and built a strong case which, even the Attorney General had no reservations to proceed.
The new Commissioner of Police is nothing but a tool in the prime minister’s hands which we have known for a long time are hands blooded and soiled by the systematic assassinations of character which destroyed many a career as demonstrated by dismissals, transfers and scandalous appointments of the last six months.
In a way, Joseph has done a disservice to Dalli, quite unintentionally, because by not proceeding against him, Dalli has no avenue to prove his innocence as he so steadfastly claims.
The side-benefit, of course, is that in the meantime Dalli continues to draw a salary from a corrupt government and which hardly will ever enhance his CV. He will always be under a cloud of alleged corruption.
Not a very comfortable position to be in, however Dalli has gotten used to this kind of situation for two decades or more. Fresh investigations about his secret trips to the Bahamas may yet sink him. Cannot say ‘will sink his reputation’, because he has none left.
Has the possibility not occurred to you, Kev, that somebody who has been embroiled in one “frame up” or another all his career is actually, eventually, involved in some muck up?
Even if evidence was “unambiguous pieces of circumstantial” then let the court decide that and not the PM and his stooge. Wouldn’t that be more democratic?
On one thing I agree with you, the tobacco industry was the one who benefited in all this.
But then one would have to agree with Daphne and say that Dalli should have NEVER been appointed to this position, and that somebody more trustworthy should have been sent in his place – somebody who would not have gotten himself embroiled in such cases in all his life, ever.
I am not defending John Dalli, Angus Black. That’s a tall order. He’s way too rich to be decent, for starters.
What I am saying is that the OLAF hypothesis would not stand in court. OLAF investigated the case in more ways than you seem to think, and nothing much was unearthed by the locals. The case against Zammit was sealed. But was Zammit acting as a go-between?
Yes, say his detractors, he must have been. But where’s the evidence? The nexus is spectacularly missing, which is why the prosecution has no case, and also why his enemies on the mainland are now pursuing him over the Bahamas triangulation.
Zammit was clearly acting on his own device, and in the hope of netting millions he was lured and netted like a fly.
Had Zammit communicated with Dalli, the latter would have told him: Int mignun? Ma tarax li din nasba? Mela jien nista nghinhom? Itlaq minn quddiem ghajnejja, ja bugarrun!
No, mm, pressing charges against Dalli wouldn’t be “more democratic” at all, because it is highly totalitarian to press charges when there is no evidence, and moreover when the available evidence indicates that Dalli was unaware of the game behind Ms Kimberley’s meeting.
Fejn hu Fredu, Bizzilla u Barunijiet?
There comes a time, when one has to look in the mirror and catch up with reality. Sooner rather than later, we will have to pay a price for this sleaze, corruption and truth distortions.
we will be building a house of cards.
The newly appointed Grand Harbour Regeneration Board also has a Mr John Dalli as a member. Is it the same John Dalli?
[Daphne – No. This one was a minister under Mintoff. His younger brother Patrick is married to the minister Helena Dalli.]
Is he referring to this John Dalli?
http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/en/newsdetails/news/national/Former-Labour-MP-may-get-his-hotel-after-all-20130926
[Daphne – Yes. The one who owned the Hunter’s Tower restaurant back in the day.]
As far as I know Labour’s John Dalli was never a minister. He was a backbencher under Mintoff. Isn’t he the father of Dr. Veronica Dalli?
[Daphne – A Labour MP. Veronica or Veronique? If you mean the latter, no, he’s definitely not Veronique and Miriam Dalli’s father.]
No wonder they put a puppet for a Police Commissioner.
John Rizzo certainly wasn’t a pushover and didn’t ascribe to the ‘free for all’ philosophy PL were subtly alluring everyone too.
Incidentally the Commissioner of Inland Revenue was framed to have him replaced with another puppet. VAT enforcement has also been stopped to give the poor businesses avoiding VAT some ‘breathing space’.
No wonder the Archbishop is begging for ethics.
“No wonder the Archbishop is begging for ethics”.
Probably the only leader who’s making sense in Malta 2013.
Not really related but I noted that the CEO of the Housing Authority has disappeared from their website, which obviously means he got the boot and another puppet will soon be occupying his post.
You might remember that minister of social security rubbishing him publicly on a broken soap holder only to deny it was constructive dismissal.
Issa min ivvota ghal bidla hada l-bidla ghax meta tmur lura ghat-tmeninijiet bidla ukoll imma lura.
It is not only the uneducated in the village bars that admire this sort of corruption. Thousands of so called educated middle-class believed the PL antics and chose their personal gains before the good of the country.
Eddy Privitera
Today, 17:09
Had John Rizzo not arraigned John Dalli because Mr. Dalli was in Brussels and could not travel, surely John Rizzo would have explained WHY he had failed to arraign Mr. Dalli ! So SOMEONE must have stopped him !
Eddy’s post on timesofmalta.com : he is going round in circles and spouting pure unadulterated nonsense !
I thought you said that nobody reads this blog anymore.
Err….who said what ?
Humour corner – perhaps Joseph should invest in this:
http://deal.com.mt/deals/deal/view/1113/10_for_hairloss_treatment_at_deandras_hairdressing_salon.html
If this is not scary I do not know what is.
wieħed jista’ jistaqsi wkoll x’wassal biex il-PL iddefenda daqshell lil Dalli ? forsi ġħax ġħinhom b’ħafna dikjarazzjonijiet kontra l-PN qabel l-elezzjoni jew forsi kellhom x-jaħbu huma wkoll fl-istess każ?
Ghax forsi hallsilhom xi naqra mill-ispiza tal-kampanja elettorali, Zorro.
Let’s be clear.
The fact that the Attorney General was of the same view as Commissioner Rizzo – namely that there existed enough evidence to arraign Mr. Dalli – means that the AG cannot give a different view to Peter Paul Zammit.
On Dissett with Reno Bugeja, Peter Paul Zammit had said that “he has undergone a recent review with police investigators and with the AG with regards the Dalligate case. He admitted that the Police has not enough evidence to sustain and proceed with charges against the former Minister and EU Commissioner.”
See below.
http://tvm.com.mt/news/2013/06/police-commissioner-zammit-speaks-about-dalligate-and-suldat/
Peter Paul Zammit was not speaking to Reno Bugeja under oath.
We want the truth.
If the AG is of the view that the case could proceed to the courts and he does not deny it, then the Police Commissioner Peter Paul Zammit has to explain.
So, after a few days in charge, P.P. Zammit proclaims the case against Dalli to be closed, while the case against Dr. Kimberley is stepped up, and all roads lead to her door.
But now we hear that both John Rizzo and the AG were convinced that there was enough evidence to arraign Dalli, but not to arraign Dr. Kimberley. The latter may not have acted correctly, but today, she certainly looks like the sacrificial lamb from where I’m sitting.
And yes, Daphne. It was definitely “bloody obvious” to those who wanted to see, for all the reasons you have stated. John Rizzo’s testimony today merely crystallizes matters.
A scandal of humungous proportions.
I can’t believe that some people are trying to justify this, or finding reasons to exonerate Dalli and the people who are covering up for him.
Such people really need to look hard at themselves, because they are either brainwashed or intellectually dishonest – or they are morally compromised. Not that they would care about it.
I hope that someone, somewhere keeps asking questions until the truth is exposed and the guilty are brought to justice.
The Nationalist Party should be at the forefront of this because they have everything to gain by disassociating themselves from Dalli and exposing this conspiracy for what it is.
Dr. Gonzi was right in his last interview before he resigned from Parliament: the day will come when the PM will regret giving important positions to Dalli and Debono. Incidentally, the latter, the defender of meritocracy and of democracy, is silent as a tomb on the Dalligate.
Miskin Saviour, kien ilu jifrah.
Reading this blog sent a shiver down my spine. Nothing we didn’t already know but put in this order it is literally terrifying.
The Labour Party is rotten to the core, but with a leader this corrupt what can we expect.
We are in this position thanks to all those wise people who wanted a change, well here’s your change!
I hope you all enjoy it. I totally agree with you, Daphne, that these people should be reminded of their shameful behaviour.
[Daphne – Oh I prefer to remind them of their stupidity rather than their shameful behaviour. People would MUCH rather be considered shameful than stupid. They’re defiant about the reasons for shame, but go ballistic if thought stupid.]
The magnitude of this scandal is unprecedented in recent Maltese political history.
If what Rizzo is saying is true, it follows that the Attorney General is being manipulated and he ought to resign immediately.
Ma you are so full of hatred! Never in my life have I seen such hatred !
[Daphne – I wish I could say that never in my life have I encountered such a stupid woman, but sadly, there are all too many of your kind. The issues involved are clearly beyond you, so do everyone else a favour and stick to discussing whatever floats your boat, on Facebook. Make sure it’s not too taxing, though – can’t have you burning out that brain of yours. You’ll be needing it for a while longer.]
I disagree.
The sooner she burns out this so-called brain of hers the better especially for her.
She would have been a much better person had she been born with anencephaly.
Can’t figure out if this is Franco or Jeffrey, my guess is on the latter though.
Jista’ xi ħadd jgħid x’qed jagħmlu l-ġurnalisti tal-affari tagħhom? Jien nagħmel mistoqsija waħda: Jekk l-Avukat Ġenerali kien qabel mal-Kummissarju preċedenti li kien hemm provi biżżejjed biex is-Sur Dalli jitressaq quddiem il-Qorti, x’biddillu l-ħsieb wara Marzu 2013?
This needs following up by journalists (not reporters), and the Nationalist Party. Facts need to be determined as this is outright shameful.
The Attorney General agrees with Mr Rizzo that Mr Dalli should be prosecuted. The Attorney General agrees with Mr Zammit that prosecution should not take place. Is it the same Attorney General?
I blame Gonzi and entourage, for taking the easy way and ridding themselves of this troublesome man by promoting him upstairs and in doing so, enabled him.
I also blame Muscat for having made an ally out of him rather than squashing him like the scoundrel that we know him to be.
The failures of these two men has led to the emergence of a new master puppeteer who holds way too many strings in his hands.
Why blame Gonzi? It was Dalli’s choice to become Gonzi’s enemy following the former’s defeat in the PN leadership race wom by Gonzi. Dalli could never accept defeat so he went full speed ahead against Gonzi who astutely let him wind the rope around his own neck at Brussels. Gonzi won hands down and nor only, it has fell the PL with it n one fell swoop.
I do think that the PL’s IQ is short by about 100 points below that of the PN.
I’ll oblige Malteser.
This has nothing to do with the leadership race. Following Dalli’s 2004 resignation when the first allegations of corruption started surfacing, Gonzi went on make one of his ‘strategic’ moves in 2007 aimed at winning over some of the hardcore Dalli voters by rehabilitating Dalli into the party as personal consultant to the PM, rather than severing all ties with a person who had previously been implicated in wrongdoings.
A lesson that Maltese politicians have yet to learn is that they need to be honest in both fact and appearance (ha bloody ha!) Any blemish tends to make politicians lose credibility fast and voters faster, even IF they may have been squeaky clean all along.
I’ll go a step further and I will blame the Nationalist party for much more than ‘just’ John Dalli. The Nationalist party has constantly and consistently failed to carry out a proper due diligence on its candidates at all level of politics. To mention a few who have slipped through the net, the party has enabled the likes of Franco Debono and Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando, strung along scandal ridden MPs like Jesmond Mugliett, and allowed other doubtful characters such as Cyrus Engerer and Nikki Dimech (just to pick on one local council).
Had the party done its homework well enough, perhaps guided by stronger leadership, it may not have ended up with all these mavericks who have ridden roughshod over party rules and ethics to seek their own personal gains. And I am going to list any of the several instances of arrogance that the our former ministers excelled at.
The Labour party has not done any better – far from it! I also agree that they have a lower collective IQ. This makes the Nationalists’ errors even more glaring because they were held to much higher standards. The buck must stop somewhere, and as far as I am concerned, it stops on the leader’s desk.
Errata corrige
And I am NOT going to list….
Apologies.
One scandal after another. And all these scandals in just six months since taking over the Government. They should earn a place in the Guiness World Records.
Ex Police Commissioner John Rizzo can walk tall as he is a man of honour. I am certain that he spoke the truth and only the truth under oath in our Courts of Justice. Let there be justice for the sake of our beloved country!
Worth a read:
http://markanthonysammut.blogspot.com/2013/09/where-did-evidence-disappear.html
Please pin this article as the first one for at least a whole week.
jiena labourist u ma naqbilx ma dan il hnizriet dalli andu jitrazaq hawn hafna labouristi li iridu gustizja
john dalli namluh ta isptar u profs zammith ragel sew bhalu u ragel ta affari tieghew narmuh hekk sew
Nothing to do with the above article but to show what idiots comment on the Times blog. Under the heading PM addresses UN General Assembly a certain Ronnie Callus wrote:
Ronnie Callus
Today, 21:35
Proset Joseph xi speech ghamilt, qatt ma’ rajna bhalu minn tan-naha l-ohra forsi ghax kien jisthi. Akka holiday mort Joseph (ghax hekk qalu) biss qtajtilhom l-ghatx bil-perzut jekk mhux nifishom.Proset mill gdid ghax ma’ mortx ghal xi cena bhalma kienu jghamlu tan-naha l-ohra imma kif ser igib xoghol ghal Malta li hi ta’ kulhadd.
The Attorney General has much to answer for. He was either of the opinion that there was a case against John Dalli or that there wasn’t – he cannot have it both ways to be cosy and comfortable. I hope our country’s journalists will now clamour for a statement from the AG.
The Attorney-General must give answers here. We are entitled to know what made him change his mind. Sitwazzjoni tal-biza. Hope all those people who voted for change, the so-called switchers, are happy.
This is a huge scandal indeed.
I don’t have any trust in the Police Commissioner and his eagerness to issue a statement on the Dalli case soon after he was appointed. No Maltese, whatever political opinion, would want to have our justice system or police force siding the party in government. This reminds me of the 80s.
I am sure the majority of the “new movement” did not vote to allow injustice or corruption to prevail. Whoever is responsible should resign, but this does not happen in Malta. We are a mickey mouse country in terms of political accountability or responsibility.
Shame.
Let’s see how long John Rizzo will be allowed to stay on as director of Civil Protection.
Well the Attorney General can claim to have a change of heart. It seems even Mr Rizzo had a change of heart as he failed to prosecute or issue any charges against Mr Dalli.
[Daphne – David, you are INCREDIBLY slow. Rizzo did not have a change of heart. He clearly said so in court: he thinks there are grounds for prosecution. But he couldn’t prosecute Dalli until Dalli returned to Malta, and days after Dalli returned to Malta, Muscat was elected PM and removed Rizzo, making him head of the Civil Protection Dept, where he is not in a position to prosecute anyone.]
Mr Dalli, I recall, was in Malta after he resigned as EU Commissioner, and was arrested and interrogated at length at the Police HQ by Mr Rizzo. However Mr Zammit was the only person to be arraigned.
[Daphne – David, I am going to speak v-e-r-y slowly. Dalli left Malta after being interrogated, precisely to avoid being charged. He did not return, not even for Christmas.]
Mr Rizzo’s evidence is puzzling maybe also due to bad reporting or the presumably tense atmosphere in the court hall. He did not apparently answer the question why Mr Dalli was not arraigned and speaks of pressure by Parliament and the media. Are the police influenced by such pressure? Was this pressure to arraign Mr Dalli, not to arraign him or both?
[Daphne – Are the police influenced by such pressure? No. The police do EXACTLY as they please, even if they have to break the rules and the law to do it. If they seem to be succumbing to pressure, it just means that what they want to do coincides and tallies with what those others want to do. He was not asked why Dalli was not arraigned, because the court, like everyone else who reads the newspapers, knew the answer: Dalli was famously hiding out in Brussels with medical certificates saying he could not fly.]
Mr Dalli could have been arraigned with Mr Zammit.
[Daphne – Not really, no. You might have enough evidence for one but need to investigate further for the other. And while they were doing that, Dalli scarpered. You have the proof that Dalli was about to be arraigned right there: do you imagine he would have hid out in Brussels for months on end, not even coming to Malta to appear on Super One during the campaign, if he didn’t think John Rizzo was waiting to pounce and arraign him?]
Charges could also have been filed later and if Mr Dalli was in Brussels an international or European arrest warrant and extradition proceedings could have been taken.
[Daphne – Wrong. You are repeating the rubbish on timesofmalta’s comments board.]
On other hand I understand that the police and the Attorney General had a difficult job here. The OLAF report did not contain clear evidence of guilt. Therefore any prosecution would have been made only as a result of this report and would then fall through due to lack of evidence of any criminal activity by Mr Dalli. OLAF based its findings on a presumption that Mr Dalli must have been aware of the bribe. Even if this was the case, there is nothing illegal in this fact.
[Daphne – ‘There is nothing illegal in this fact’. Actually, there is.]
I came to know of someone who is serving a prison term for the fact that he knew that a crime was being planned but did not report it to the police. He was not part of the crime, but just happened to know that it was being planned.
Dalli would serve a prison term IF he knew about the bribe offer and did nothing about it.
No there is no crime of knowing a crime is being planned or has been committed and not attemptinjg to stop or report this crime. In fact I have no knowledge of any person being arraigned on these changes, at least in Malta. The only crime that may be committed in this regard is if a person conspires with other, plans or in some other way aids the offendors.
It is elementary criminal law that there must be both the criminal intention as well an illegal act for guilt. There are some exceptions to failure to report a crime which concern some very serious offences as crimes against the state and, for certain professionals, child abuse and money laundering.
Therefore I think either you have wrong information or a gross miscarriage of justice must have been made. It would be the epitome of absurdity if say I know my neighbour is planning a crime and then I am imprisoned for knowing this fact and not doing anything to stop this crime.
[Daphne – The mistake you make is not to factor in Mr Dalli’s public position, David. You are not speaking here of a neighbour failing to report a theft next door. And in any case, he is directly involved.]
David, you must have read the news reports of next week. This does not make sense does it? So does your contribution, which is at the least sly. You are using the same warped logic in the Inspector Taliana case.
David, you are aware, I hope that the former Commissioner of Police and his investigative team were removed from their previous positions, and are no longer in a position to delve further in Dalli/whoever else gate. But on the basis of what they did manage to discover, they found sufficient grounds for arraignment.
Now there should be three people in prison not one, and no prizes for those who guess correctly.
And then they tried to frame Gayle Kimberly.
The first head that should roll is that of the prime minister who, by design, replaced Rizzo with a goon, that goon who tried so hard to put an inspector in prison for doing his job, catching the thief, that goon who applied the brakes on Dalli’s imminent prosecution.
These things don’t happen in an EU country. If this had happened in the UK, say, the PM would be out of No. 10 by 9 o clock, goon would be in the dock while Dalli would follow him the next day. But this is Malta under the MLP (no, it’s not the PL, it’s the MLP).
And all this while the prime minister, who had concocted all this, is in the UN addressing the heads of state with platitudes, climate change and love.
The lying scoundrel said “we see the pain etched in the faces of those who seek shelter on our shores”, and I could not help saying out loud, what a hypocrite this man is.
Stephen, Muscat is a total sham. He acts according to the audience he’s facing. When you are as artificial as that man is, a lot of people can pick it up and you won’t be able to impress them.
And they are usually the ones people like that most want to impress.
“Peace in our time” he told them.
How very original.
Disgusting.
If I were a Laburist I would be furious that the party I vote for is led by such unscrupulous people.
And if I were an honest Labour MP (surely there are a few), I would do my best not to be associated with this criminal lot.
If you were a Laburist you would not mind at all because that is what makes you a Laburist in the first place.
Without doubt, John Dalli is the most corrupt politician since Lorry Sant. Malta is truly a banana republic. What a disgrace.
The maths is adding up and a pattern is emerging.
Konrad Mizzi leaves a high profile career to become a local MP and then a minister in tiny Malta. His wife gets to be a special envoy for Malta Enterprise.
Manuel Mallia swaps a lucrative legal career (which helped him make thousands in cash, and not only that) to become an MP and a minister.
Silvio Scerri leaves his business empire to become Chief of Staff of a mega ministry, as does Keith of Kasco, Chief of Staff at Castille.
All these people are not in it for the monthly salary.
One humble advice to the PN. Never let your eyes wander off from the Ministry for Home Security and that for Energy. Never means 24/7. These two ministries are too powerful and complicated and that’s where the action is. The other ministries are fodder for the masses and a diversion from the real important issues
Is there any connection between John Dalli and Shiv Nair?
I would surmise there is and that Manuel Mallia was in charge of burying it.
Lying all the way to the UN…
Affarijiet zghar ghal-Laburisti Mintoffjani. Niftakru ferm ghar. Il-legacy politiko-kriminali mhux ser tmur malajr.
How utterly disgraceful. I am so disgusted.
Dan kollu kien imbassar qabel l-elezzjoni u ħafna ma ridux jisimgħu – ħasra li tqannejna bil-mażra magħhom, pero’ dawk it-tradituri li marru mal-partit soċjalista, għad iridu jkunu l-mażra ma’ għonq dal-gvern korrott.
F’sitt xhur tefgħuna tletin sena lura, nemmen li fi ftit snin oħra jkollhom babilonja oħra, anke jekk għandhom maġġoranza hekk kbira. Iridu jżommu f’rashom, li kienu n-nazzjonalisti li tawhom dik il-maġġoranza.
Dawn bnew fuq it-tafal, u fuq it-tafal tiġġarraf f’qasir żmien.
“Now I see” said the blind man – who was”blind” only because he always wore a Labour Party/Movement blindfold
Good to hear that OLAF have reopened this case. Seeing that we will never get to the bottom of this at home perhaps the truth will eventually emerge.
Why was this case not pursued while Silvio Zammit’s went to court? Doesn’t the minister feel he has to explain a few things so that we can have some some comfort that justice is done and seen to be done.
Can anybody imagine how bad the situation would have become had John Dalli become PN leader and therefore prime minister, with all that scope for doing as he wished?
If this happened in any civilised democracy, it would most likely cause the downfall of the government.
Instead, what we’ll probably get is some sarcastic, flippant remark from the prime minister, with the allegations being dismissed as the inevitable bitterness of a man no longer holding the position he previously held.
[Daphne – “Don’t be negative. You’re isolating yourselves.” I wonder how long they think THAT’S going to work. They still have an Opposition mindset.]
And he is in the international news again:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/27/world/europe/european-union-starts-new-graft-inquiry-into-tobacco-regulator.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
Breaking news. Brigadier Xuereb resigns.
Another head for the chop. No doubt we’ll be getting some Lt. Colonel with tremendous experience having been promoted from major only a month ago, and now miraculously promoted to Brigadier. Definitely excellent material for the Guinness book of records.
Oops. Wrong. Now promoted to Full Colonel after a whole two weeks as a Lt. Colonel and soon to shoot up to Brigadier. That’s what I call a fast track. We must be the laughing stock of the EU armies.
And there you go….
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130927/local/brigadier-resigns.487979
And now Dalli is being investigated again by OLAF this time about his travel/deals in the Caribbean. It’s on maltarightnow.com
Il-hmar il-makus idur ghalih id-dubbien. Miskin.
The four lieutenant-colonels promoted only a few weeks back have now been promoted to full colonels.And the brigadier has resigned.
In under 6 months we have become a veritable banana republic with political stooges being promoted up the ranks into the top leadership posts of our armed and police forces and elsewhere.
Meanwhile, the government (through Manuel Mallia) is planning the centralisation of identity records to an extent that has actually got the PN to politely object.
We are witnessing either the creation of an Orwellian totalitarian state or the groundwork that precedes a coup d’etat. Given the pushback issues and he ensuing wave of racist sentiment, my money is on the former, although I would not exclude the latter either at this rate.
I’ve given up. I read your blog and grumble to myself, continuing with the charade of daily life, speaking about the weather or foreign news in general.
My guts tell me that we are back to the 80s, the exact details of which I barely remember, but the general feeling I do. It’s the same feeling but the situation is probably slightly worse with China and these major business sharks swimming around us.
The only thing which keeps us here is that when one has his livelihood invested in a country it’s more difficult to leave. At least there is you, Daphne. Without you we would be more in the dark.
Hi Daphne,
Not that this has any relevance to this post but can you please say something about this.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130926/local/heritage-malta-invites-designs-for-monuments-to-former-presidents-and-dom-mintoff.487816
An article published in The New York Times on the 26/10/2013 confirms that Brussels are investigating John Dalli’s charitable trip to the Bahamas. It also confirms that according to Dalli he is not involved in any charitable projects at present.
Everyone knows that John Dalli is not known for his charitable work. Through out his political career there has never been a reference to his charitable heart. On the contrary, during his political career he has been connected to some very serious scandals, dealing in influence and abuse of trust and power. He also framed me in revenge because I reported his involvement in the Daewoo scandal.
Former police Commissioner John Rizzo had plenty of opportunity to investigate him. He failed to do so. I am still expecting John Dalli to be investigated for the false criminal charges he and the police brought against me.
In John Dalli’s Bahamas adventure, which according to him it was worth billions of Euros, there is the infamous Mary Swan, an internationally acclaimed fraudster. What has happened to her? Is she being protected by the Maltese authorities?
The smell of corruption really stinks. Carry On Johnny Cash.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/27/world/europe/european-union-starts-new-graft-inquiry-into-tobacco-regulator.html?pagewanted=all&_r=
http://ec-eu-john-dalli.blogspot.co.uk/p/john-dallis-3rd-witness.html