Tell me about it.

My grandpa worked in a high position at the National Bank and had shares in it. After Mintoff’s decision to take over the bank two policemen came to his house and threatened him to sign over the shares or else he would lose his pension. He signed over reluctantly. He was not one to put up a fight.

It is a shame the Nationalists never put right what Labour did then. But you are right, this present government does not give a hoot about the law and intends to bend it to all extremities in order to abuse to the max.

I would expect that after all attempts to get access civilly, the National Audit Office should ask the police to help it gain access to the place without delay, as it is empowered to do under the law.

Villa Francia is not the property of the Prime Minister but the property of the state, administered by the government.

I wouldn’t want the grandfather of my worst enemy to have been the president of the National Bank in those days of Our Great Leader of Ma Taghmlu Xejn mal-Perit Mintoff fame.

It was actually my grandfather to whom Mintoff said that, and his exact words were: “Jien nitnejjek mill-Kostituzzjoni.” He had summoned the National Bank of Malta’s president (my grandfather) and board of directors to his office to let them know that he intended to seize the bank.

Skuzani, Sur Cachia, izda l-Malti tieghek Meshall ma tifhmux ghaliex int pulit u edukat.

Jien baxx, mejjet bil-guh u injorant bhalha.

Il-Malti tieghi jghid “min qatt ma libes qalziet meta jilbsu jahra fih”.

Just to put the rekort straight.

I’m not censuring the NAO, who are deservedly renowned for doing a great job under God knows what circumstances, but when I hear these things my mind unfailingly goes back to the days when Mintoff told the owners of the National Bank (I think it was called) that the Constitution is nothing more than a KARTA STRAZZA (or something to that effect).

I hate to say this, but the geezer seems to have been right, if not on anything else, at least on this count. Our Constitution so often proves to be no more than a piece of oil-impregnated paper useful only for wrapping some stinging fish in (if you don’t mind my ending a sentence in a preposition).