Action on Pilatus: Too little. Too bloody late.

The MFSA “forced out” Ali Sadr from the directorship of Pilatus Bank and ordered a freeze of any transactions by him, his fellow directors and senior management and their relatives.

So no late night calls to open a loan account to the chairman’s sister for a million and a quick transfer of almost half that amount to a New York account belonging to “Buttardi” then?

How pathetic. They move now because the United States have slammed the door on a crook we rolled out the red carpet for. And now Labour’s “spin” — what a poor excuse for the term — is that the MFSA officers who evaluated and approved Ali Sadr’s application for a license had been appointed by a PN administration. Come off it, will you?

You’ve been told for two years what sort of mess was happening there and you accused Daphne Caruana Galizia, Simon Busuttil and others, of treason, witchcraft and all sorts of sedition and horror.

You allowed this low-life to run his criminal errands for his criminal clients using Malta as his platform.

You soiled the name of our country anywhere you look.

And today Edward Scicluna has the gall to point out that in the United States Ali Sadr was not indicted for any crimes committed in Malta. Of course he wasn’t. That’s your government’s job, you fool. The United States enforces its own laws. But Malta blesses impunity for its friends.

Yes, friends. Ali Sadr, the favoured wedding anniversary party guest of Christian Kalin the crook that calls you “Keith and Joseph” qiskom tieklu l-kirxa miegħu.

Ali Sadr, who the FIAU found was best mates with Keith Schembri for reasons still undocumented which we still hope to find out.

Ali Sadr, whom you blessed when he sued Daphne Caruana Galizia in Arizona to ruin her and get her out of your hair.

You made this man with more passports than years of experience in banking the fulcrum of our country’s reputation. You made us his whores.

And now you suspend him? What did you think; that he was going to be allowed to chair Pilatus board meetings from a federal prison in upstate New York? You think anyone is impressed because you sent a moderately worded letter to someone facing 3 consecutive lifetimes in a US prison?

Where’s the inquiry into your conduct as a government? Into the conduct of the regulator that licensed him? Into the conduct of the anti-money laundering agency that gave him a clean bill of health? Where’s the account of every spot check and due diligence exercised that was supposed to capture what this man was up to and instead covered it up?

Where is your ashen faced apology to the journalist who died telling you what was happening under your noses? And you ignored her because it was happening with your blessing.

Such do we account your mettle now Edward Scicluna. And Chris Fearne. And the few other pretend saints that wanted to stay away from the corruption of your colleagues and now move to protect it even as it is confirmed by the most objective arbiter there is: the United States federal law enforcement agencies.

Now you’re stepping in to deal with Ali Sadr? Now that he can no longer reach you and blackmail you with what he knows about you? Now you think you’re safe and he won’t bring you down with him? Not likely. The bank’s still there. Ali Sadr’s clients are still there. The way he managed to be licensed when he was manifestly unqualified, and the way he managed to retain that license when he was clearly a crook, is still a secret you protect.

You think you’ve turned the page. The book has only started. And your names will be on pages not yet written.

He thought he’d get away with it because he was your friend. You thought you’d get away with it because you were his.

Your time will come.