Comments on: Stephen Smith is somebody Sheehan, the Police Commissioner and Mallia knew already

By: LINA CARUANA

LINA CARUANA — Sat, 06 Dec 2014 17:59:00 +0000

Scary. There seem to be collusions upon collusions. Only God can take us out of this mess. Are the institutions working? Everything is far too complicated.

By: Tabatha White

Tabatha White — Sat, 06 Dec 2014 16:17:27 +0000

In reply to Natalie Mallett. How does he differ from Joseph Muscat in that respect?

By: Natalie Mallett

Natalie Mallett — Sat, 06 Dec 2014 15:25:45 +0000

In reply to Gahan. Koort

By: Natalie Mallett

Natalie Mallett — Sat, 06 Dec 2014 15:25:06 +0000

Manuel Mallia is a great example of the seven deadly sins rolled into one person. He’s the absolute pits of politicians and should not be allowed to hold any public office, When is he going to start enjoying his millions and leave us all in peace? Perhaps he can join John Dalli in Lourdes and pray for a total conversion.

By: kev

kev — Sat, 06 Dec 2014 14:41:08 +0000

In reply to kev.

If Smith is known to the police there is no mystery in Sheehan referring to him by his nickname when reporting to the commissioner. You can speculate, certainly, but that’s what it will be: speculation.

[Daphne – Don’t be obtuse, Kevin. Smith is not ‘known to the police’. He is known to at least two police officers – the minister’s driver and the Police Commissioner – and to the minister himself, and not in the context of their police work either.

Smith was not a client of Manuel Mallia’s crime practice, but of his commercial practice. Mallia represented the company in a commercial dispute with a transport association.

You also choose to ignore the fact that the Police Commissioner and Manuel Mallia are cousins, which means that they have a non-professional relationship. And you overlook the fact that the Police Commissioner did not give a merit certificate to a policeman who helped rescue a drowning man, but last September gave the minister’s driver and his girlfriend’s father, Frans Micallef, a merit certificate for catching a hunter who shot a stork (which is presumably what they are paid to do anyway) and this when he knew full well that the stork in question had fallen into the garden of a farmhouse Micallef somehow bought off a policeman’s salary.

And the Police Commissioner had absolutely no shame in presenting it to the press as though Sheehan and Micallef had chased the hunter while out for a walk in the fields. Were the press told at the time that the ‘heroic’ constable was actually the police minister’s driver? No, we were not: deception of the first order.

Were we told that he is in a relationship with the other policeman’s daughter, which is why they were together in that garden at the time? No, we were not. Why? Because it doesn’t look good, that’s why.]

By: kev

kev — Sat, 06 Dec 2014 14:22:46 +0000

In reply to kev. Yes, it seems he was known to the police, and the commissioner was likely referring to him by nickname after being informed by Sheehan himself. That doesn't say much. [Daphne - Unbelievable, Kevin. And this from a former police officer.]

By: La Redoute

La Redoute — Sat, 06 Dec 2014 14:09:02 +0000

In reply to Rover. Joseph Muscat is an incompetent, irresponsible boy in a middle-aged man's body. He should resign because he is not up to the task of leading a government.

By: kev

kev — Sat, 06 Dec 2014 14:04:18 +0000

Pure speculation. Police officers habitually refer to known characters by their nicknames. That doesn’t mean they’re in collusion with them. E.g., Il-Pupa ghadu ma qamx?

[Daphne – That’s not my point, Kevin. How did they know he was L-Iskocciz, when the story they spun was that of a random hit-and-run with a total stranger? There is nothing about Smith which is even remotely Scottish. It is not as though he emerged from his car with bright red hair, freckles, a kilt and painted in woad while eating haggis, drinking whisky and speaking like Ewan McGregor. He looks and speaks exactly like a Maltese.]

By: chico

chico — Sat, 06 Dec 2014 13:07:04 +0000

Truth is stranger than fiction because for it to be strange it has to verge on the incredible whilst being credible at the same time. And it is rendered credible because it is based on verifiable facts such as statements (even better, recordings), transcripts, photographs, CCTV and forensics.

The unknown factors are the intricci which can be surmised upon and gossiped about. This makes it all that more interesting than fiction where everything is revealed in the end.

As an avid crime reader and fan of True Crime TV, my gut feeling is that Smith has quite a special story to tell, and he holds a strong hand.

In the meantime I hear you can get quite a few hundred acres of virgin territory – great retirement country – near some of the Black Sea resorts, for 500k. Permits no problem if you’re well connected.

By: A Psychologist Writes

A Psychologist Writes — Sat, 06 Dec 2014 12:40:37 +0000

Yes, the definite article in ‘L-Iskocciz’ betrays the fact that they knew exactly who they were talking about.

Had he not been someone they know well they would have said ‘wiehed Ingliz’ by virtue of either his fair complexion (as is customary in Malta to refer to fair people as ‘qisu/qisha Ingliz/a’) or the foreign number plates on the car he was driving.

‘L-Iskocciz’ is a nickname and not a description by strangers. He is known to the parties concerned by that nickname. Whether he is Scottish or English or Moroccan is not the issue here.

The press then picked it up and, not realising it is the nickname they use for him, described him as a Scotsman.