Some really weird things are happening around the case of Darren Debono. The authorities of Italy and the United States are after him. But he seems to be chasing the Maltese authorities rather than the other way round. In Italy, he’s being tried for fuel smuggling after the Dirty Oil investigation by the Italian authorities [...]
Archbishop Charles Scicluna may find he has little effective means of exerting discipline on David Muscat, the cleric who insists he has no regrets about speaking in praise of Adolf Hitler admirer Norman Lowell in a gathering of white supremacists celebrating Lowell’s birthday. The bishop may have the technical authority to order his priest to [...]
Judge Giovanni Grixti agreed with Ministers Edward Scicluna, Konrad Mizzi and Chris Cardona that an inquiry into the privatisation of three states hospitals ordered by Magistrate Claire Zammit Stafrace should not start while some of the suspects — the Ministers — have appealed the order. This in spite of the fact that a fourth suspect, [...]
Ignoring a resolution approved by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe is not without consequences. We often have misguided expectations of international law which inevitably means we’re quick to be disappointed by it. Those misguided expectations are in reality only more amplified versions of the inherent disappointment in ordinary, everyday law. We complain [...]
Repubblika statement: Repubblika expresses its appreciation for the remarks made by President George Vella a few days ago that the process of Constitutional Reform must not be limited to the interests of the two Parliamentary political parties but must include broad participation including that of civil society. We are however concerned that the first steps [...]
A new judge has been assigned the case of Ali Sadr Hashemi Nejad that is due to start this October in New York on federal charges of bank fraud and busting sanctions against Iran. The previously assigned judge, Andrew Carter, had to recuse himself from hearing the case after it emerged that he owned stock [...]
Bear with me for a few lines of tedium which you need to know to understand the frame of Edward Scicluna’s, Konrad Mizzi’s and Chris Cardona’s hive mind. Repubblika filed a request in court of an inquiry to start into the hospitals privatisations and any criminal activity that may have happened. Repubblika indicated Edward Scicluna, [...]
Policy by gaslighting. The manipulation is so brazen it doesn’t mind being obvious. Now we’re supposed to spend the week speculating what tattoos Joseph Muscat has tucked away. Want to bet it’s something like this? While you’re distracted by this, killing time on the beach, your country is being taken away from you. That’s why [...]
Lovin Malta spotted the word ‘Invictus’ — undefeated ... unconquerable, even — tattooed on the Prime Minister’s arm. They gaped in disbelief as will anyone at first. That’s the first reaction Joseph Muscat wanted to provoke. And then anger. Joseph Muscat is no Latinist. He could have gloated over his electoral record in Swahili or [...]
The Council of Europe's deadline for an independent and public inquiry into the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia expires in just over a month. There's no sign the government intends to comply with this. Our call for truth and justice must be renewed. 16 August 2019 Great Siege Square, Valletta 19:30
From my article in The Sunday Times today: "This disassociation between the symbols and their creators is grossly insensitive to victims. It is supremely ironic that petards proudly carrying charges from Nazi Germany are lit up on August 15, the anniversary of the Santa Marija Convoy that saved the islands from the imminent prospect of [...]
Look at this post from Facebook. Some people who missed the opportunity of hurling insults out of their car towards a small bunch of activists illegally arrested for placing symbolic crosses on trees marked for the cop, went on Facebook to speak their mind. It’s all summed up in one, gloriously bordered in green, word: [...]
Concluding part of this series. The first part is here. 3. Dr Vincent Galea: Il-kontenut ta’ dan ir-rapport li inti qrajt allura, iddiskutejtu ma’ membri tal-Gvern jew ma’ membri tal-Partit Laburista? Dr Owen Bonnici: Assolutament le, assolutament le. Dr Vincent Galea: Lil xi Ministru iehor? Biex inkun car, ikunx hemm Ministru X u jghidlek isma [...]
Times of Malta yesterday reported how a TV production company has been given office space at the TVM building. There’s plenty that is wrong with that. This particular company is one of many that competes for contracts with TVM. Saving on rental costs (not to mention benefitting from the use of the assets in television [...]
Italian journalists Sandro Ruotolo and Paolo Borrometi have renewed their appeal for more signatures on their online petition demanding the opening of an inquiry into the assassination Daphne Caruana Galizia within the deadline identified by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. At the time of writing, the petition has gathered 40,343 signatures. If [...]
Sent in by Lake: Barely one week ago PN councillors, predictably, decided to reconfirm Adrian Delia as their leader and condemn their party to electoral irrelevance whilst we are left with more questions than answers. Ironically, the whole purpose of this masochistic exercise was to address the big doubts looming over the PN's head, free [...]
Statement by Repubblika: Repubblika is deeply concerned that a Magistrate’s order for the opening of an inquiry into the hospitals' privatisation is being ignored by the court administration in manifest breach of the law. The court administration reports to the executive branch and when acting outside the remit of the law, as in this case, [...]
Judging by this scene in Santa Luċija this morning, no. It's like a sequence from Avatar.
Photo: AP Liu Zhongtian, chairman and president of Chinese aluminium giant China Zhongwang Holdings Ltd, and, since 2016 a Maltese national, has been indicted by a grand jury on charges he schemed with the company he founded to evade US$1.8 billion of tariffs by smuggling huge amounts of aluminium into the United States. [...]
'Hate' is an overused verb. When I write in criticism of someone, I'm often accused of hate. Usually, it's fans of politicians who think of their idols as some people think of Marmite: they love them but those who don't must necessarily be hating them. They don't conceive of the possibility of anything in between. [...]