Edward Scicluna sued Simon Busuttil for defamation saying tweets Simon Busuttil published lie about him. Or something.

Here are Simon Busuttil’s tweets.

The vexatious lawsuit is the tactic of the damned.

So which bit in these tweets is untrue, ey?

Edward Scicluna is being advised by the same time-buyers that advised him to quote from the Egrant report he was not supposed to have a copy of. Now the Court of Appeal has ordered him to say where he got that report from.

You would think that after that Edward Scicluna would learn that it might feel good for a short while to kick the can down the road but sooner or later, to mix metaphors because that’s fun on a Saturday morning, shit will hit.

Suing for libel kicks the can down the road for a while. He can tell his audience look what they’re saying about me is not true. Of course the fact that he is “embroiled in a money laundering investigation” is sacred truth.

It’s right there in the Magistrates order that an inquiry is opened to investigate and collect evidence of a suspected set of crimes Edward Scicluna is allegedly involved in.

It would defamatory, for now, to say that Edward Scicluna is guilty of money-laundering. Only a court conviction would allow us to say that. But hey. It’s only a matter of time before the can you’ve kicked down the road becomes the shit that hits you.

The libel suit also allows Edward Scicluna to say in his own defence at some European Parliament scrutiny session evaluating his nomination as EU Commissioner “all that you’re saying about me is false and subject to a court case of defamation that I have opened to protect my reputation”.

Reputation, you say?

You can stuff your reputation. Consider, Edward Scicluna, the damage you have done to Malta’s.

A year ago today Reżistenza Malta protested and demanded you resign because of the money-laundering mess under your watch as Minister. European regulators said the FIAU, which you’re responsible for, was not doing its job. Pilatus Bank was shut down over your do or die defence.

You have to resign a year ago for criminal stupidity, negligence and, if we’re going to be kind, incompetence.

A year later the Minister responsible to protect Malta from money laundering and the principal guardian in the executive of policy and standards in that fight is the subject of an inquiry to determine whether he himself benefited from the weaknesses he has presided over.

Those weaknesses are documented by international regulators. The only reason why his own alleged crimes have not been investigated yet is because the police would not do their job. So investigative journalists here in Malta had to do the job for them, or at least the part they could do without powers of arrest and seizure.

A year ago Edward Scicluna laughed off calls for his resignation. Is he still laughing now?