The prime minister backs Cyrus Engerer’s claim that he is being persecuted for political reasons
The Malta Independent reports Cyrus Engerer as saying that he pulled out of the electoral race because he “does not want an unjust judgement in (his) regard to throw a bad light on the Labour Party which is close to (his) heart, or on the Prime Minister in whom I have full confidence”.
He added: “What I went through is a result of the decision I took in 2011 to join the PL. The real motives behind the procedures against me, together with other facts such as the persecution of my parents and family, are easily reached by all, and emerged also from the inquiry ordered by former Minister Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici.”
You will notice that there is absolutely no expression of regret for what he did to his former lover, or for the embarrassment, discomfort and inconvenience he caused to so many people around him, including both political parties to which he attached himself.
He also very conveniently skirts the issue of guilt, leaving the question open as to what he believes to be unjust: that he was sentenced to prison for a crime he did not commit, or that he was sentenced for a crime he did commit, but considers prison to be too harsh.
Engerer needs reminding that the sword he uses cuts both ways. If his trials and tribulations were the result of all-powerful government persecution before 2013, then it follows they must be the result of all-powerful government persecution now.
The Malta Independent again:
Asked by journalists, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said that he backed Mr Engerer’s claim of persecution. The case was brought up after Mr Engerer left the Nationalist Party to join Labour, the PM said.
Dr Muscat said that the PL did not exert any pressure on Mr Engerer to withdraw his candidature. Mr Engerer took the decision on his own, he said. Our candidates are gentlemen enough to know what to do, he added.
38 Comments Comment
Leave a Comment
http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2014-05-09/news/cyrus-engerer-withdraws-candidature-for-ep-election-4912807936/
He will soon tell us that he was framed.
“Dr Muscat said that the PL did not exert any pressure on Mr Engerer to withdraw his candidature”.
That statement says a lot and implies that the party would have allowed Mr Cyrus Engerer to contest just the same with the criminal conduct certificate he had just acquired.
So much for transparency and accountability.
‘Gentlemen’? Seriously ?!
Gentleman, my foot. Gentlemen don’t sneak into the homes of lovers who have broken up with them, steal pictures off their computer, and email them out to his office colleagues and boss, then pretend they didn’t and claim to be persecuted.
Gentlemen, in this case, is to be understood in the context of ‘Gentlemen’s Club’.
How comfortable are Louis Grech and Helena Dalli with having somebody like that in their office and with access to their computer data?
It is amazing how what was unacceptable during the previous administration has become the norm in this administration. Ara kieku kien xi hadd minn tal-PN!
L-aqwa dak l-imbierek arloġġ.
You all missed the reason why Cyrus Engerer left the Nationalist Party to join the ‘skip’.
He left, or was kicked out for the very same reason. Cyrus Engerer thought that he is immune from prosecution.
Let’s be clear. Engerer claims persecution by the police, not his ex.
No claim of innocence anywhere. He just wants us to pity him for being persecuted and also wants us to forget what actually happened here: he has been found guilty of a crime, and guilty of threatening to make it worse for his ex if he does not drop the case.
“Dana juri f’liema livell waqa’ l-appellat sabiex joskura lill-kwerelant, igieghlu jirtira l-kwerela u jahbi r-responsabiltà tieghu ghal dan ir-reat.”
That in no way does it describe a gentleman, dear Prime Minister.
That to me describes a person with a twisted mind who would go to any length to cover up his crime. People with this mentality who are entrusted in politics are a danger to society.
But to our dear Prime Minister, these are the actions of a gentleman. “You committed a crime, my friend? No problem. Threaten retaliation, and with any luck they’ll drop the case and you’ll be in the clear. You’ll be a gentleman.”
If that is the kind of gentlemen you like to be surrounded with, Mr Prime Minister, it doesn’t exactly make you very appealing.
I’m feeling very generous today.
Did Joseph Muscat exert any pressure on Anglu Farrugia?
Mr Prime Minister, a true gentleman would never act in such a shameful manner and commit such a heinous crime. Please choose your words carefully.
Naturalment, kien fit-tellieqa (ghall-voti) ma’ l-eqreb rivali tieghu, Marlene Mizzi. Bizzilla?
You’ve got to have guts to be the partner of Cyrus Engerer. Joseph Muscat has just lost a pornographic liar.
What would he say if he was the victim, that is if he was in his lover’s position?
Whoever ‘forgave’ him made a grave mistake. Engerer shows now signs of repentance, regret and responsibility. Nor did he vow to ever do this again, when these are the four pillars necessary for forgiving. Anything else is poppycock.
The PN need to publish a concise and documented timeline of how things developed leading to his departure from the party. This will ensure there are no doubts as to what happened when.
Once again we are witnessing the skewing of facts and datelines to fit in with what Cyrus and the PL want the gullible to believe.
Anqas jaf x’inhi misthija
Let us just say that the case against Engerer was brought because he left the PN (I know that’s not the case, but humour me for a second), if he has now been found guilty, doesn’t the fact that he is guilty count for anything in the matter?
Irrespective of why the case was instituted, he has been proven to be guilty of the charges brought against him. That is the whole point.
They are probably simply irked because since this is a criminal case (not a civil case like the Australia Hall matter) the Labour Party could not take matters in its own hands and stop the case.
Apart from the brazen attitude on display, as if he’s the injured party here – which is the obvious bit – who the hell cares that Joseph ‘has his full support?
Who is supposed to feel better with that touching declaration?
The PM has the full support of a convicted criminal and disgraced politician, to whom the PM has expressed reciprocal support.
THIS IS UTTER MADNESS!
“Our candidates are gentlemen enough to know what to do” – Joseph Muscat.
Joseph Muscat deems that Cyrus Engerer, who stole compromising photographs from an ex-lover then distributed them to that victim’s employers and friends to be a gentleman.
Joseph Muscat deems that Cyrus Engerer who tried to blackmail his victim into refraining from witnessing against him in court to be a gentleman.
A gentleman would have apologised to the victim and backed down but Cyrus did none of that.
Cyrus Engerer plays the same ‘ I am a victim’ chipped disk he has played so many times before originally it was because he was homosexual and now it’s because he changed Party loyalty.
Cyrus Engerer is a hypocrite besides now having been sentenced a criminal.
He can only accomplish further damage to the Party he supports by hanging around and the sooner Joseph Muscat snaps out of the stupor the better it would be for politics in Malta and us all.
So he’s a gentleman and insists it’s persecution, why doesn’t he go to Muscat’s bord tal-ingustizzji?
Countersue government perhaps?
What we’re being told here is that separation of powers is in the way. Engerer’s lawyer could outline what needs to be done that this injustice never happen again. Make public his ideas to the justice minister and his commissioner for law reform.
Even because at the moment it’s a criminal offence to cause bodily harm to third parties as a consequence of driving one’s car.
This is sick.
It’s astonishing how everything is twisted to benefit the moment and this government – even a conviction of harassment and pornographic distribution.
Engerer must have realised his candidature is going to give dismal results, and now puts the blame on the PN with the prime minister’s blessing.
Or maybe it’s all part of a well-planned political propaganda campaign, expertly playing at the image of poor underdogs with Engerer placed as scapegoat. One wonders what the prize is for him.
“Miskin habba l-‘evil PN’ kellhu jirtira mill-elezzjoni. Vera kattivi hux. Muscat ragel sew ghax hafirlu.”
Qeghdin sew.
Well said, Daphne.
Mr. Engerer purposely kept from his party bosses the fact that he was being investigated by the police and this in collusion with his lawyer, who was a member of parliament for the same party.
Message to disgruntled Laburisti: In the EP elections either vote for the PN candidates, vote for Cyrus or poggieh gol-frame.
So politics apart, and forgetting that Cyrus Engerer is who he is, the PM actually is condoning such behaviour. How low can you get? Shame on him.
Our PM knows no shame.
There is just one word to justify this wicked man Engerer’s behaviour – a full blown scandal.
“Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said that he backed Mr Engerer’s claim of persecution.”
Muscats irresponsibility is beyond belief. By claiming that Engerer is the subject of political persecution, he is implying that:
(i) Engerer is innocent and that he was wrongly convicted by the Court;
(ii) the Court is part of a political conspiracy to persecute Engerer;
(iii) the Police received instructions from politicians to investigate and prosecute Engerer;
(iv) Engerer’s ex-partner was an accomplice in the political persecution of Engerer.
Worst of all is the last one because with the PM’s statement the victim is turned into the perpetrator.
Disgraceful. It amazes me how people who understand the difference between right and wrong could possibly vote for the party led by Joseph Muscat.
Another term in Muscat Labour Party’s newspeak: ‘gentleman’.
Is this the same Joseph Muscat who claimed zero tolerance to corruption, black listed persons etc.. X’cuc hu l-arlogg li ghajjat bih ghal xhur shah.
For the Prime Minister to make the statement that he was reported to have made with regards to Engerer is beyond shameful. To call Engerer a ‘gentleman,’ after what he was convicted for, says a lot about his values.
Once a gentleman always a gentleman.
Once a scoundrel, always a scoundrel.
If the Prime Minister is backing Engerer’s claim of persecution, isn’t he implying that the judge is implicated and a participating instrument of this persecution?
If this is the case, isn’t this an attack on the independent judiciary by none other than our Prime Minister?
We who lived and survived through the eighties know pretty well the consequences of a PL attack on the judiciary.
exactly my conclusion to this dangerous man’s outburst.
Another definition to be added to Labour’s bizarre dictionary:
Gentleman: a person found guilty of threatening and blackmailing a lover who has left him.