The only naïve sharks known to science

Muscat says that Brian Tonna of Nexia BT was “naive” to advise Konrad Mizzi and Keith Schembri to set up companies in Panama. Oh, indeed. He must be the first naïve shark known to science. Joseph Muscat, Keith Schembri, Konrad Mizzi and Brian Tonna – a shoal of naïve sharks.

Today the Chief Naïve Shark said that Konrad Mizzi’s Panama dealings are being “investigated by an international audit firm” and that “Panama is cooperating”. He won’t say which firm it is, and he won’t say either why Panama is cooperating with the Maltese government when it refuses to cooperate with the police, court orders, the European Union, the United States, or any country anywhere in the world. But of course, he’s lying. We are expected to rely on the word of a proven liar.

The press who he insulted with this offensive answer should have pointed out the screamingly obvious: investigations of this nature are not carried out by audit firms. They are carried out by the police and by the state’s forensic financial investigators (in Malta’s case, the Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit). This is not a tax investigation. This is a money-laundering and corruption investigation. It should be a criminal inquiry. And while it takes place, Konrad Mizzi should not hold his position in the government. Does this have to be spelled out?

The Prime Minister knows this. His behaviour is continued, mounting evidence of his complicity with his minister and his chief of staff.