Watch Edward Scicluna melt in front of the microphones of the press and a glorified microphone-stand working for the Labour Party.
There’s a complete and utter absence of any form of logic in his response.
First, the questions put to him did not accuse the FIAU but the police for failure to act on FIAU findings. He ignored that question altogether. He refused to criticise the police and instead with what he must think is subtlety he criticised the inquiring Magistrates for taking their time establishing the facts.
Of course, he ignores the fact that Magistrates cannot replace police action. They cannot arrest. They cannot arraign. They cannot prosecute. Only the police can.
Then, of course, some Edward Scicluna broadsides towards the whistleblowers at the FIAU. They should not have gone to the Leader of the Opposition with the information, they should have gone to a Magistrates “if they were serious”.
Wrong. Where is it written that an FIAU officer who found reasonable grounds for criminal action should go to a Magistrate? Why not the Archbishop or the National Football Coach? Because the rulebook does say what they need to do: they should go to the police.
Michael Cassar was Police Commissioner and was presented with one of these reports. But the coward fucked off before anyone could say ‘gotcha’.
And then the ‘Joseph Muscat has brass balls’ clown we have today was put in place and that was that.
After that the investigator knows a number of things:
- He knows that his findings are never going to be investigated and prosecuted by the police;
But more dangerously,
2. He knows the subject of these investigations — Keith Schembri, Konrad Mizzi and other grandees considerably more powerful than he might ever be — now know what he has reported on them.
In the specific case, we’re talking about we also know FIAU investigators even lost their jobs merely for doing their work.
Now in that context the ‘so-called whistleblower’ as Edward Scicluna describes them, can go with their information to whomever they damned well please. That’s why they’re called whistleblowers: because the structures and proper channels become barriers to the pursuit of truth and must, therefore, be defied and short-circuited. And whistleblowers have every right to protect their identity and their personal safety. So if they’re getting someone else “to go to the Magistrate” that’s fair and square.
Deep Throat can then go into hiding and live out their days in peace.
That’s what journalists are for. And if they understand their job description, it’s also what Members of Parliament are for. Their job is to hold the government to account and they can only do that with the help of people who know things the government wants to hide from you and whose confidentiality they must absolutely protect.
Have you noticed? Keith Schembri, Konrad Mizzi and Joseph Muscat are the ones who had illicit transactions caught by the FIAU. They are the ones who ensured the police do nothing about the FIAU’s findings.
But it’s Edward Scicluna whose having to kneel in the shit and the vomit to keep things together. When’s the last time you’ve seen Keith Schembri, Konrad Mizzi and Joseph Muscat fielding tough questions?
I think the ‘artful dodger’ interview comes to mind. Edward Scicluna is considerably less artful.
