If the government really does mean business, then why is the Labour Party’s lawyer defence counsel to one of the smugglers?
A security officer at Malta Freeport, a customs officer and a stevedore are being prosecuted for helping smuggle €1 million worth of cigarettes into Malta during an operation involving a single container.
I say helping smuggle rather than smuggle because they are clearly not the actual smugglers but the bought men paid to fix things during entry. The smugglers remain mysteriously unknown to us.
Home Affairs Minister Manuel Mallia called an emergency Sunday press conference to brief the country on the details, no doubt because Malta Today carried a survey in today’s edition naming him as the least liked cabinet minister.
His fellow minister Chris Cardona told the press that this case shows the government’s resolve in clamping down on corruption (they have a nerve, with the Henley & Partners and gas power station deals sitting on their necks).
That would be so much more convincing were it not for the fact that Pawlu Lia, the Labour Party’s official lawyer (and loyal servant), is defence counsel to the customs officer, while former Super One newscaster Veronique Dalli, who now runs Jose Herrera’s office while he fills a sub-cabinet post, is defence counsel to the Freeport security officer.
That really puts the public’s mind at rest, doesn’t it. But I suppose anything goes when you have the Law Commissioner defending junkies and petty thieves in between stalking up and down South Street in search of attention and admiration.
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Why do I get the feeling that our attention is constantly being diverted from the greater crimes and the more compromising cases of corruption? This sounds too systematic and programmed.
Just when you think it can’t get worse – it does
Isn’t it the police commissioner who should be calling press conferences in cases like these?
[Daphne – Yes, but he is not subjected to popularity surveys in Malta Today, so his puppet master took over.]
The Police Commissioner is busy directing the Gozo Channel traffic at Cirkewwa.
So many more ‘corruptions’ will surface I am sure. Sleepy Joe PN !
Of course these ones will have their share too. It is corrupt to the core here. When 83% of the Maltese people in a European poll believed that we have corruption it should have been an eye-opener.
Through the years there was high perception (and real) about corruption. The politicians from both sides pretend that they do not know of any (on their watch of course).
What a joke of a country.
AND by the way did Minister Mallia pay tax on those 500 thousand Euro under the mattress? Or was he arraigned for money-laundering?
As to your last sentence Silvio, that remains a mystery.
This government is so out of control that even if Joseph decides to turn over a new leaf he will be unable to rein in all elements within his own government.
Once the half a million Euros stacked under Manwel Mallia’s mattress are mentioned again, I am still wondering how he managed to exchange such a hefty sum (or most of it) from Maltese Liri to Euros unless, of course, the €500,000 were accumulated by Mallia after the 1 January 2008 when Malta changed currency from Maltese Liri to Euro.
He said that this amount was accumulated in forty years service as a lawyer. If what he said is true, he should explain how he effected the exchange and at which Bank since we all know how difficult Banks have become (because of money laundering) when large amounts of money are involved.
If no explanation is forthcoming, I would assume that the amount was accumulated after 1 January 2008 i.e. between 2008 and 2012 (in five years).
Dak kien l-istess hsieb li ghadda bejnietna tal-familja d-dar xhin konna qed nisimghu l-ahbarijiet. Il-kumment li ghaddejna kien li dawn jahasra jidhru li qatt m’ghamlu xejn.
Mur gibhom flok Gonzi waqt l-irvellijiet tal-Libja u l-ajruplani Mirage li gie Malta.
One Norman Glanville thinks that amongst other reasons the culprits shouldn’t be prosecuted because the only people to gain are the lawyers the majority of whom are Nationalists!
Norman Glanville > J. Sammut
• 8 hours ago
If you prosecute these people, the only people who is going to gain are the lawyer, the majority of whom are nationalists. How much money would be spend on these trails? How much of these lawyers would be paid by the taxpayer? If we put these people in jail the taxpayer would have to feed them and provided for all their daily requirement. The government will lose the taxes they paid, the national insurance contributions. Should both parents be sent to jail if both of them are responsible? If so who is going to take care of their children? Where are you going to put all these people? You would have to build a new prison, employ more staff
Ergo, according to Norman Glanville, the ‘honest’ way to proceed is to INVITE the corruptors to own up to their crime and, consequently, pay all the amount stolen from Enemalta plus a 10% penalty.
This sounds soothing music to some criminal ears – that is why little joey is playing it so triumphantly and aloud. Not to mention that he may possibly be shielding some of the guilty who are very much known to him and his set-up.
Oh, I just love this Norman Glanville. Doesn’t he realize that they would probably be defended for free by the lawyers in Manuel Mallia’s practice?
And wouldn’t it be one way of creating new jobs in the construction industry and then by employing new prison warders, to help ease the unemployment. Or is he afraid that there are too many tal-Lejbur involved?
No tax to pay on half a million euros lying at home in a drawer, because no interest is accruing – just dust.
Mallia’s press conference regarding the cigarette smuggling operation, like Konrad Mizzi’s dog-and-pony show of earlier this week, was premised on the false assumption that it is perfectly normal for the government of a democratic state to have a direct hand in the prosecution of alleged criminal offences, use those prosecutions for propaganda purposes, and effectively pass judgment on pending charges that have yet to be heard in court.
The implicit suggestion is that this government sees no need to scrupulously avoid the perception that decisions relating to charges and prosecution are susceptible to influence by the prime minister, a cabinet minister or parliamentary secretary, or their respective offices.
Correction. There was no stevedore involved but a haulier. Also, the security officer was employed by Malta Freeport Corporation and not by Malta Freeport Terminals Ltd.
Thanks Daphnie for giving me peace of mind,cause for a while there, I thought they’re gonna let them get away with the crime.