I was only vaguely aware F Living TV was a thing. But I did know of Ivan Grech Mintoff’s awareness of the back story of what Neville Gafa’ has been up to for some time in Libya. He presented in court a dossier of witnesses wanting to come to Malta to testify that Neville Gafa’ solicited bribes from them for medical visas to come to Malta (and enter Europe). He alleges the bribes were not only solicited. They were paid. Malta’s borders and Europe’s security were punctured in exchange for money and there are witnesses in Libya (naturally now unable to obtain a visa to come here) willing to testify to this.
Ivan Grech Mintoff has now followed up The Sunday Times’s story about Neville Gafa’s recent trips to Libya and on a TV show, last Friday on F Living TV, he alleged in the most categorical way imaginable that Neville Gafa’ visited Libya to attempt to persuade these witnesses not to testify against him. Those attempts to persuade included attempted bribery and the use of political influence through contacts with officials of the Libyan government to exert pressure on these witnesses not to testify. He also alleges, categorically, that Neville Gafa”s statements that he was on a private visit are a lie. Neville Gafa’ is alleged to have travelled within Libya using resources of the Malta Embassy. He was accompanied by a person who told the Libyan authorities he was a secret service agent of Malta’s government. He dished out official Government of Malta business cards.
Ivan Grech Mintoff’s TV show is not exactly great TV. It essentially is a monologue by Ivan Grech Mintoff periodically interrupted by two guests — David Agius and Anthony Buttigieg who are undecided between fascination at Ivan Grech Mintoff’s evidence and confusion as to why they were dragged in the room to sit as his audience.
But Ivan Grech Mintoff’s TV show is an indictment of Neville Gafa’ and, more importantly, of the government that continues to retain him. It is not just that they’re protecting a criminal who is alleged to have used his political power to solicit bribes. It’s also that he is now conducting international diplomacy on Malta’s behalf to cover up his crimes.
There has never been anything like this in Malta’s history.
There is some discussion going on whether it is an exaggeration to say that Malta’s state has been captured. Ask yourself if it is fair to believe a state has been captured by criminals when its envoys travel in official cars, using official embassies, presenting official business cards, collecting a public salary and moving around accompanied by official security meeting officials of another country in an official context, in order to exert political influence to ensure witnesses of crimes do not testify.
This is monumental.
Here’s Ivan Grech Mintoff’s F Living TV show.