Karmenu Vella – always looking out for Number One

A line-up of scum, with Il-Guy second from left, already as pleased with himself then as he is now

Here is a graphic example of how the private interests of politicians can undermine democracy and transparency by leaving us unsure as to whether their statements are motivated by party policy or by private greed.

Back in February – before Libya exploded – you will recall that Joseph Muscat made a much ridiculed and widely condemned declaration that Malta should swoop in and take tourism-related advantage of Tunisia’s troubles.

It was not so much the content of what he said that upset people so much, but the context and the shallowness. There, at the start of the Arab Spring, our future prime minister was unable to grasp the enormity of what was enfolding before our very eyes.

Karmenu Vella had just been made chairman of the Orange Travel Group, which has travel business interests – including cruise business interests – in Malta and Tunisia, among other places.

He failed to make this fact public when he defended – angrily and with passion – his party leader’s irresponsible statement on taking commercial advantage of the unrest in Tunisia.

We had no idea, when Karmenu Vella spoke, that he had a direct commercial interest in the matter. It now appears that he might have been the one to talk Joseph Muscat into saying the stupid things that he did.

Did he conceal his business interests from his party leader, or did the party leader know about them and say what he did regardless?

The contempt in which these people hold the public is just incredible.

Or rather, it is not incredible to me and others who, like me, remember Karmenu Vella as Mintoff’s and KMB’s Ministru tal-Industrija.

Or floating into Ghadira on board the Lady Jo, with a cargo of contraband unloaded directly onto the deck at the Tunny Net restaurant.

Am I going to be allowed to live at least part of my life without the presence of this scum in it?

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Maltarightnow

10 ta’ Frar, 2011 20:34 CET

Ix-shadow minister laburista Karmenu Vella, li fl-aħħar jiem l-mexxej laburista Joseph Muscat għamlu responsabbli mill-programm elettorali tal-Partit Laburista għall-elezzjoni ġenerali li jmiss, iddefenda bil-qawwa d-dikjarazzjoni deskritta minn bosta bħala insensittiva li għamel Joseph Muscat dwar il-protesti fl-Eġittu u t-Tuneżija.

Joseph Muscat issuggerixxa li Malta tapprofitta ruħha mill-protesti fl-Eġittu u t-Tuneżija biex jiġu aktar turisti.

F’dawn il-protesti mijiet ta’ ċittadini Eġizzjani u Tuneżini tilfu ħajjtithom u eluf oħra ndarbu fi protesti għal-liberta’ u d-deomkrazija f’pajjiżhom.

Din id-dikjarazzjoni ġiet deskritta minn bosta bħala insensittiva, politikament immatura u prużunzjoni min-naħa tal-Kap tal-Oppożizzjoni.

Iżda x-shadow minister laburista Karmenu Vella ddefenda din id-dikjarazzjoni tal-Kap tal-Oppozizzjoni u qal li hi dikjarazzjoni responsabbli

Il-perit Vella jibqa’ magħruf għal meta f’Awwissu tal-1983 meta kien Ministru tal-Industrija kien ammetta u nstab ħati mill-Qorti li flimkien ma’ deputat Laburista ieħor, mingħajr il-permess tal-Kontrollur tad-Dwanan qabdu u daħlu fil-bajja tal-Għadira bil-jottijiet Stormy u Lady Jo u hattew, f’żewġ karozzi, kaxxi magħluqa, pakketti u xi affarijiet oħrajn u dan mingħajr ma taw informazzjoni meħtiega mill-liġi lill-uffiċjali tal-immigrazzjoni.

Dakinhar Karmenu Vella, Ministru, kien qal li ma kienx jaf li kellhu jinforma lill-awtoritajiet b’dan.