Sometimes the old excuse that Daphne Caruana Galizia refused protection so that’s all the state could do about that comes up again. Mark Anthony Falzon’s piece on The Sunday Times made many arguments that at first I felt needed response. Until of course you realise that it is his piece which is itself a response [...]
If there’s “no inquiry”, they need not appeal Konrad Mizzi told the Constitutional Court his fundamental rights are breached simply by the fact that the law allows anyone, you included, to complain about him committing a crime and ask for an inquiry to start. The argument is well and truly absurd. Try to apply this [...]
If the Prime Minister is making you feel it’s all for nothing, his strategy is working Joseph Muscat is no idiot. Of course he knows Konrad Mizzi and Keith Schembri are now suspects in a criminal investigation. That in itself is not proof of wrongdoing and they continue to deny the wrongdoing. Innocent until proven [...]
There is a country that has a leader with an unwavering base of supporters. It would seem he can do no wrong in a surprising number of people’s eyes. It does not matter what he says or doesn’t say; it does not matter how many people close to him are accused of crimes and corruption, [...]
Konrad Mizzi, Keith Schembri, Brian Tonna and other accomplices today are a step closer to facing justice for crimes discovered by the Panama Papers leaks and Daphne Project revelations, after Magistrate Doreen Clarke ruled Repubblika and Simon Busuttil filed documents that “lend credibility to their request to have the evidence about their allegation preserved”. Magistrate [...]
"Malta f'qalbna," Joseph Muscat says. Which perhaps is why his chief of staff and his favourite Minister set up their money handling structures in Panama, New Zealand, Dubai, the British Virgin Islands and whatever other banana republic was prepared to cover for them. The theme of Labour's campaign is made to look happy hey ho [...]
Italian anti-mafia NGO Libera contro le mafie is naming its Ragusa headquarters for Daphne Caruana Galizia. In a statement the Sicilian offices of Libera announced the naming ceremony due tomorrow that will be addressed by the founder of Libera Don Luigi Ciotti. The ceremony is also being attended by Daphne’s sister Corinne Vella. Libera promoted [...]
The Court today heard the first arguments in the case brought by Repubblika against the government arguing that appointing judges chosen by the Prime Minister is unconstitutional, a breach of fundamental rights and in breach of EU law. Repubblika was represented by lawyers Jason Azzopardi and Simon Busuttil who informed the Court they intended to [...]
From my The Sunday Times article of today: "Policies are designed around the needs of those who pay for them. Political parties with a likelier opportunity of implementing those policies attract the funds that will guarantee their re-election, starving any alternative of resources. "We can see the consequences all around us. Political parties that promote [...]
If the Nationalist Party needs to speak about “clans of low-quality foreigners frightening children and making society poorer” in order to bring out the vote, let’s face it, all it is left hoping for is not losing too many votes to the racialist bigoted fascists. It’s a tactical temptation to manage a pincer movement on [...]
Joseph Muscat and Owen Bonnici do not acknowledge the existence of Repubblika, though they will have to respond to its challenge in Court on Monday. They prefer instead to refer to the organisation’s lawyers — Jason Azzopardi and Simon Busuttil — when they respond to the accusation they are breaking their own promises of implementing [...]
(Reuters. Published by La Repubblica) A small part of the extensive legacy left by Daphne Caruana Galizia's exemplary but unbearably painful experience, in life as much as in the way it ended, is worldwide awareness of the fate of journalists of her calibre, motivation and dogged determination in Europe and what must and [...]
Press Release by Repubblika: Repubblika is grateful for the decision of the First Hall of the Civil Court to accept the application we filed this morning asking for an urgent hearing of our application to stop the government appointing more Judges and Magistrates before the reforms expected by the Venice Commission are introduced. In fact [...]
The term “Political Correctness” is used to describe language, policies or measures that are intended to avoid offense or disadvantage to members of particular groups in society. So people who are short are “vertically challenged”, people who are blind or myopic are “visually impaired”, people who are hard of hearing or deaf are “hearing impaired”, [...]
Judge Mark Chetcuti has set Monday morning as the earliest date when he can hear Repubblika's plea to halt judicial appointment until after the Venice Commission recommendations are implemented. The Court ordered the government is advised of this immediately. Yet, by all accounts the President of Malta George Vella will be swearing in new judges [...]
Look at the President's diary for today. As at 12:10 today it says nothing about the swearing in of new judges and magistrates. It was not meant to happen today but the Government did not want to have to argue in Court on why it was ignoring the Venice Commission that said the way our [...]
The appointment of new judges ought to be a day of celebration for a functioning democracy. But our method of choosing judges has been outed by the foremost world experts on how democracies should work as indicative of a failed democracy. The government has accepted this and promised to change the system. It has taken [...]
Repubblika Statement: Repubblika this morning filed an application in the First Hall of the Civil Court asking it to order the government not to appoint new Judges and Magistrates until a new system of choosing judges that ensures the independence of the judiciary is introduced. In public statements, the Government has already recognised the finding [...]
A photo is making the rounds on social media of the voting document belonging to Luciano Moggi, formerly chief managing director of Juventus Football Club. The voting document shows Luciano Moggi is eligible to vote in Gżira, Malta. A check in the electoral register confirms he is a Malta resident. Luciano Moggi's Wikipedia biography says [...]
This article reviews Air Malta’s statement of yesterday about their financial statements for 2018. You can read Malta Today's report of that statement here. Sale of landing rights to an associate company – Air Malta insisted that its strategy to transfer the airline’s landing rights to a government company is to give the State sole [...]