This is why we ask

By
2020-06-30T11:07:42+02:00Tue, 30th Jun '20, 09:24|

The Chamber of Advocates was full of ire and wrath yesterday because this website has asked questions about Aron Mifsud Bonnici’s role in the Montenegro deal. Here’s why we’re confused. Look at this picture from November 2015 of Konrad Mizzi meeting his counterpart in Podgorica, Montenegro. The photo comes with an official statement by the [...]

Konrad Mizzi’s grubby hands in Pembroke

By
2020-06-30T08:41:38+02:00Tue, 30th Jun '20, 08:41|

Three local councils, 10 NGOs and thousands of individuals are giving reasons to the Planning Authority why the ‘revised’ dB tower Pembroke plans ought to be rejected. Those objections are about height, density, waste, congestion, pollution, noise, light, land use: a huge range of planning reasons why the project should not be allowed. But there [...]

Has Neville Gafà been given a new job?

By
2020-06-30T07:56:09+02:00Tue, 30th Jun '20, 07:56|

Since January 2020, when Robert Abela moved in, Neville Gafà was supposed to be out of the public service. But a mundane albeit angry post by an irate citizen from Ħal Lija suggests Gafà is still 'solving problems' for people. The complainant has been raising concerns about roadworks where he lives for several days. Now [...]

GUEST POST: Errare humanum est, perseverare autem diabolicum

By
2020-06-30T07:39:40+02:00Tue, 30th Jun '20, 07:39|

Robert Abela, newly crowned Prime Minister of Malta, must be either a naïve, wet behind the ears politician or a scholar of Machiavelli’s political thoughts. He thinks that by kicking out of the Partit Laburista Chris Cardona and Konrad Mizzi all his troubles just faded away like an early mist when hit by the sun. [...]

GUEST POST: Pilatus Bank and the Competent Person (3)

By
2020-06-30T07:27:29+02:00Tue, 30th Jun '20, 07:27|

In this third article in this series (which starts here), I am writing on some of the key points highlighted in the fourth six-monthly report of the Competent Person, together with my observations. This report was addressed to the Parliamentary Secretary for Financial Services and Digital Economy, on 12 May 2020. I must immediately highlight [...]

Chamber of Advocates “unreservedly condemns” manueldelia.com and Shift for Aron Mifsud Bonnici stories

By
2020-06-29T16:09:33+02:00Mon, 29th Jun '20, 16:09|

The Chamber of Advocates reacted to my recent blog posts where I wrote about Aron Mifsud Bonnici’s triunal roles as Konrad Mizzi’s personal lawyer, as Enemalta’s board secretary and as an advisor on the corrupt Montenegro deal. The representative body of Malta’s lawyers also kick The Shift News because they were the ones to reveal [...]

MONDIAAL NEUWS: Pushbacks to Libya to put pressure on the EU

By
2020-06-29T14:19:49+02:00Mon, 29th Jun '20, 14:19|

Read this in-depth report on Belgian news site Mondiaal Neuws by Pieter Stockmans about Malta's conduct in managing rescue operations in its search and rescue area during the Covid-19 lockdown. The report says that Malta is resorting to increasingly extreme methods of preventing the arrival of new migrants. The coronavirus crisis appears to be a [...]

GUEST POST: Analysing Steward Malta’s 2018 accounts

By
2020-06-29T11:58:43+02:00Mon, 29th Jun '20, 11:58|

These are the first audited financial statements under the name of Steward Malta Limited, which had changed the name from Vitals Global Healthcare on 16 February 2018. It is a pity that management accounts are not prepared for public consumption, as since 1 January 2019, the indications seem to point to a further deterioration to [...]

Lost in all the noise

By
2020-06-29T09:47:52+02:00Mon, 29th Jun '20, 09:47|

On 2 April 2017, The Malta Independent on Sunday ran this story: “Wind farm project in Montenegro taken over by Enemalta ‘clouded by corruption’”. The story was written by Gabriel Schembri and it looked at what it was that Enemalta had bought. The project was mired in corruption since before Enemalta stepped in. The report [...]

GUEST POST: What the fuck, Joe?

By
2020-06-29T09:16:22+02:00Mon, 29th Jun '20, 09:16|

Well, well, well. Joseph Muscat thinks he can just slink off into the Azerbaijani sunset and laze around in a hammock for the rest of his days. The Limestone Cowboy wants to hang up his studs, walk off into the Panama sunset and all will be forgotten. It’s that easy, eh? In Malta, perhaps it [...]

What’s with this guy?

By
2020-06-29T09:01:16+02:00Mon, 29th Jun '20, 09:01|

Neville Gafà remains one of the enduring mysteries of the Joseph Muscat era. These days we mostly see him flanking Keith Schembri when the corrupt, thieving bastard is dragged to court to answer questions that risk exposing him for being worse than that. I watched Gafà testify in open court before the covid crisis and [...]

FLASHBACK: When Konrad Mizzi was Labour’s Deputy Leader

By
2020-06-29T08:32:57+02:00Mon, 29th Jun '20, 08:32|

I don't want to spoil your day off. This is a bit like watching a film by Leni Riefenstahl when you're not reviewing it for a university paper. This is Konrad Mizzi speaking to the Labour Party conference when the Panama Papers leaked in 2016. Watch him. Listen to what he says. Watch the reactions. [...]

RIGHT OF REPLY: Aaron Mifsud Bonnici writes in

By
2020-06-29T08:19:43+02:00Mon, 29th Jun '20, 08:19|

As usual on this blog, comments are not published under letters sent in claiming a right of reply: Dear Mr Delia I refer to your blog posts published under the title “Konrad Mizzi cronies switch roles at Enemalta board” and “New Enemalta board secretary is Keith Schembri’s personal attorney.” Some clarifications are in order. On [...]

Touching Yorgen

By
2020-06-29T09:03:21+02:00Mon, 29th Jun '20, 08:12|

No one can say Adrian Delia’s denials are not categorical. He had no communication he knew of with Yorgen Fenech after the revelation in October 2018 that Fenech owned 17 Black, the company lined up to bribe Keith Schembri and Konrad Mizzi. He allowed for the possibility that without him ever seeing it Yorgen Fenech [...]

LISTEN: The tragedy of our time

By
2020-06-28T11:15:46+02:00Sun, 28th Jun '20, 11:15|

Thank you for your feedback at the first attempt at a video podcast. Listening to that feedback and how people said they used it, I'm trying uploading an audio file now with this new article. Let me know if this is better. https://youtu.be/FNgT30sW2hU The tragedy of our times We’ve had low points before though it’s [...]

New Enemalta board secretary is Keith Schembri’s personal attorney

By
2020-06-28T09:36:05+02:00Sun, 28th Jun '20, 09:36|

The government removed Aaron Mifsud Bonnici from the post of board secretary of Enemalta. His position became untenable after news of the Montenegro wind-farm scandal emerged. Aaron Mifsud Bonnici negotiated the Montenegro deal where Enemalta plc paid three times what the company it purchased was worth just 18 days earlier. Aaron Mifsud Bonnici is Konrad [...]

GUEST POST: Questions for the Montenegro scandal investigators

By
2020-06-29T11:55:37+02:00Sun, 28th Jun '20, 08:59|

This article includes my comments on the now notorious Wind Park Project in Montenegro together with my comments. I also list questions addressed to the investigators into what I will refer to as the Montenegro Deal. Timeline and Facts The audited financial statements of Fersa Renovables for the financial year ended 31 December 2016, disclose [...]

Konrad Mizzi cronies switch roles at Enemalta board

By
2020-06-26T18:34:03+02:00Fri, 26th Jun '20, 17:58|

Konrad Mizzi’s personal attorney Aaron Mifsud Bonnici has been removed from the Enemalta plc board of directors. The news is carried in a notice in the Government Gazette. Aaron Mifsud Bonnici has served as Board Secretary since Konrad Mizzi was minister responsible for Enemalta , before Mizzi’s symbolic relegation to the status of “minister without [...]

Joe wants to silence the Ombudsman. Ar’hemm ħej.

By
2020-06-26T15:27:46+02:00Fri, 26th Jun '20, 15:27|

Joe Brincat wants the Ombudsman to resign. And if the Ombudsman doesn’t, Joe Brincat wants street marches in protest against him. As they often like to say about anyone who disagrees with them, Joe Brincat is a nobody. But he’s writing this on the official media of the Labour Party. An op-ed on Pravda is [...]

Go to Top