Policeman asks Justice Minister’s girlfriend on FB how she stops herself slamming Opposition leader against wall

This is the face of Malta under Labour: the Justice Minister steps out openly with the Labour Party TV reporter for whom he has left his wife; the Labour Party TV reporter carries on as she used to, ripping the Opposition leader to shreds on Facebook with no regard for her changed status as the Justice Minister’s girlfriend; among the Justice Minister’s girlfriend’s FB friends is a policeman who was charged with taking bribes from hunters; the corrupt policeman asks the Justice Minister’s girlfriend openly on Facebook how she stops herself slamming the Opposition leader against a wall.

This is wrong on so many counts that I don’t know where to begin. But I’ll try.

1. Policemen should not be on Facebook because it requires accepting Facebook ‘friends’ and for many other reasons.

2. If they must be on Facebook because their employers haven’t stopped them, they should stick to discussing neutral topics. If they don’t, they should be cautioned.

3. A police officer should not encourage others to slam anybody against a wall, let alone the Opposition leader.

4. A journalist who has begun sleeping with a cabinet minister should know that her position has changed and should behave accordingly. I am not going to explain how, why, where and when. This is the trouble when hamalli get into power or into the beds of the powerful – they don’t know the codes or why the codes exist in the first place.

5. The Justice Minister is not rude about the Opposition leader, therefore his girlfriend shouldn’t be either, because she embarrasses and compromises him by extension.

6. If the Justice Minister’s girlfriend is upset and offended because of a couple of pointed and well-deserved remarks which the Opposition leader made about her inappropriate behaviour and the conflict inherent in her position, then she shouldn’t show it or make her personal resentment so obvious. More to the point, she should take this as an example of just why her position as a political journalist who sleeps with a cabinet minister is completely untenable, and either find something else to do or find another boyfriend. Look how badly Valerie Trierweiler ended up because of these conflicts – not that Janice Bartolo is Trierweiler or Owen Bonnici is Hollande.

Now for PC Kenneth Sevasta. Five years ago, he was prosecuted – while suspended from the police force on half pay – after he admitted to taking bribes from men hunting illegaly to inform them about the movements of police patrols.

He said he took the bribes because he had financial problems and couldn’t pay his electricity and phone bills.

There is nothing in the newspapers to show how the case was concluded. Was he left in the force after taking bribes – or was he kicked out and then reinstated by the madly irresponsible Manuel Mallia along with all those other old and crooked police officers he put back on the police payroll?

I would be interested to know what Police Commissioner Michael Cassar plans to do about disciplining Sevasta for this wholly inappropriate public Facebook exchange. Exactly how are we, out here, supposed to have confidence in a policeman like this, who takes bribes and encourages others to violence against the Opposition leader?

Police Constable Kenneth Sevasta, who took bribes from illegal hunters and talks about violence towards the Opposition leader, with the Justice Minister’s girlfriend.

The Justice Minister’s girlfriend, Labour Party television reporter Janice Bartolo

The Justice Minister