The PN’s lawyer had Joseph Muscat on the witness stand today, under oath. He had two questions to ask him. One: who did Egrant belong to? Two: did you ask Brian Tonna to whom Egrant belonged? The Prime Minister knows the answer to these questions and has been dodging them playing hide and seek with [...]

One bank they regulate is under administration because its owner is indicted in the United States and is the guest of the FBI. Pilatus Bank: check. Another bank they regulate is in control of an auditor because of money laundering breaches and its customers need to prove they are desperate for their money before they’re [...]

Chris Cardona gave a controlled interview to Saviour Balzan today, perhaps making up for not answering questions from NBC about how well he knew a journalist's alleged assassins. Or maybe he was making up for the fact he's so far dodged testifying under oath to what he told Saviour Balzan today to avoid prosecution for [...]

When the Egrant inquiry came out Konrad Mizzi addressed his Ministry-bought camera full of glee saying the inquiry vindicated him. It had done nothing of the sort of course. It had nothing to do with him at all. No inquiry has been conducted into why he set up a Panama company, why he committed on [...]

And coming back.

Ernst & Young yesterday was policing Satabank on behalf of the Malta Financial Services Authority. It was also hosting a ‘Malta Attractiveness Seminar’ that heard how investors in Malta are becoming increasingly concerned about the stability and transparency of the island’s political, legal and regulatory environment. And it also published results of its survey among [...]

This article on The Atlantic was published yesterday. It discusses the work of the Daphne Project and the unique event of journalists from all over the world coming together to continue the work of one of their own killed in the line of duty. This particular feature contains something very rare. A response by our [...]

This article published a few days ago on the eve of the anniversary of Daphne Caruana Galizia’s assassination was published on the website of the Freedom of the Press Foundation. The FPF is a non-profit organisation founded in 2012 to fund and support free speech and freedom of the press. Its mission includes “promoting and [...]

https://youtu.be/h_q9EvPygYU

In an earlier post, I wrote about the reputational harm the current Satabank crisis is causing among end clients of our financial services activity. An expert in the gaming industry pointed out to me in a conversation this morning that I am underestimating the impact on the end users of the gaming industry as well. [...]

Up to this morning, Satabank, or the ‘competent person’ appointed by the regulator to take control of it, Ernst&Young, have not yet communicated to the bank’s clients any news about what’s happening to their money. This is causing increasing concern among customers who have been denied access to their funds since the MFSA’s order last [...]

Here’s a bulletin on The Great Restoration of The Great Siege Memorial. After the vigil of Tuesday 16th October an #occupyjustice activist, considerably nimbler than I am, went over the barricade to stick a picture of Daphne Caruana Galizia to the unwaxed plinth of the Memorial. A sort of smiling middle finger left for Owen [...]

The current situation at Satabank is being underestimated because its client base is mostly foreign and we don’t have typical Net or One phone-in callers with their salaries trapped inside. But though the political fallout of a freeze on transactions on a domestically-focused retail bank would be politically massive, the economic fall-out of the state [...]

I am not Martin Scicluna’s shadow and life’s too short to read all his drivel, let alone answer it. But you can see in his article of today, coupled with it Steve Mallia’s return from the shadows last Sunday, and a few other hints here and there of eloquent frenzy, a picture taking shape of [...]

This is now. It won't be there tomorrow. But we will be.

A portrait of Daphne Caruana Galizia made of etched and patinated metal was inaugurated today in the European Parliament press room a year after the Strasbourg conference room was named after the assassinated journalist. The portrait is the work of Marie Louise Kold, Danish metal artist who lives in Malmo, Sweden and in Malta. The [...]

So Owen Bonnici gave an account in Parliament of The Great Restoration of The Great Siege Memorial in Valletta. He said he spent €1,600 in three weeks worth of “cleaning the base, removing wax and oil stains, grouting and repairing of worn areas”. Assuming the materials came for free, and by the sound of the [...]