Updated at 14:20 Simon Mercieca thought he caught Jason Azzopardi plagiarising from M, the James Bond character. In Skyfall (2012), M testifies in front of a hostile parliamentary committee and in a flourish of drama, recited chillingly by Dame Judi Dench, she mouths some free verse that apparently Simon Mercieca found used in a speech [...]
I’m sorry if I’m starting to sound like a stuck record but faced with repeated behaviour, the reaction will inevitably be repeated. I can hardly doubt President George Vella would really like for this country to start the healing process after the trauma of the killing of Daphne Caruana Galizia. But he’s really limiting the [...]
Consider for a moment the reactions by the political parties to the report by the Times of Malta of a company set up by the Labour Party to camouflage donations from Yorgen Fenech as payments for “consultancy”. First, the background. So-called consultancy contracts are entry-level methods of laundering unlawful payments. They’re up there with family [...]
I don’t want to jump the gun here, but things did not sound very encouraging in today’s hearing of the case against Yorgen Fenech for money laundering. The magistrate will decide later this week if there is a prima facie case at all and, let’s just say, she did not sound impressed with the case [...]
President George Vella has been making public remarks that among other things amount to chastisement for his critics for, as he puts it, spreading the “false impression” that just about everyone in public office is corrupt or somehow compromised and working on behalf of hidden interests. The president expressed sympathy with people in public office, [...]
Jose’ Herrera announced he would spend €200,000 on cultural events in Marsa. The taunting in that statement is truly maddening. He provokes us to accuse him of using his Ministry’s budget to pander to his constituents. Because when we accuse him of that we help carry his message to his constituents that they should vote [...]
Former EU Commissioner John Dalli, who was forced to resign in disgrace in 2012 after an OLAF investigation into allegations that a henchman for John Dalli solicited a €60 million bribe from a Swedish manufacturer, is due to appear in court in the next few days to face charges in connection with the case. The [...]
Updated: Adds comments by IĠM President Matthew Xuereb. (10:36) Updated: Adds nuisance calls made to Christophe Schweiger. (12:00) Emails sent to newsrooms last night purporting to have been sent from Lovin’ Malta’s generic email account include links to a spoof image of the Lovin Malta website carrying an article aimed at discrediting Opposition MP and [...]
There is no man so blind as he who will not see. As governor of the Central Bank, Edward Scicluna’s job is to anticipate economic trends and take the steps necessary to keep the boat afloat. He is to run the bank that banks trust. He is the guardian of the vault. When everyone else [...]
There’s no smugness in that remark. Perhaps there would have been if she was still alive and she would be entirely entitled to feel vindicated at last. But being proven right cannot help her now, nor her family for the loss they continue to suffer. Just a reminder that #DaphneWasRight 🌿 @occupyjusticema @Manwel_Delia pic.twitter.com/xK5ktvhRz8 — [...]
Sayed Ali Sadr Hashemi Nejad, through his Hong Kong company Alpene Limited, has filed a complaint against Malta at the World Bank’s International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes. The complaint, filed last July, complains that Pilatus Bank was wrongfully taken away from him after he was indicted in the United States for busting [...]
This set is by Jon Borg.
Updated at 13:22 The FIAU handed down to Pilatus Bank plc a record fine which is just shy of €5 million because of gross and systemic failure of preventing the bank from being used as a laundry for dirty money and or a conduit for funding terrorism. Some observations that I think are worth making. [...]
This set of photos from yesterday's solidarity demonstration is by Darrin Zammit Lupi.
This statement was issued this afternoon by the International and the European Federation of Journalists. Photo by STRINGER / AFP In recent days, several Maltese journalists and media outlets have been victims of online spoofing in what appears to be a major campaign to spread disinformation and discredit those who are targeted. The International and [...]
The Council of Europe's platform to promote the protection of journalism and safety of journalists has today logged an alert on the spoofing campaign against this website, NGO Repubblika, and news website describing it as an act having chilling effects on media freedom. The platform is coordinated with the Council of Europe's partners the European [...]
The following statement was issued today by ARTICLE 19, the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), the International Press Institute (IPI), and OBC Transeuropa (OBCT): Cartoon by Miriam Galea. The partner organisations in the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) are highly concerned about attempts to spread disinformation and discredit Maltese journalists and bloggers who write [...]
Several local media organisations and NGOs have endorsed tonight's protest in Valletta in solidarity with journalists and activists called by Repubblika, #occupyjustice, and this website for 18:30 in Castille Place. The endorsing organisations are: Newsbook, The Malta Independent, Illum, Net News, Malta Today, 4Malta.tv, Sidestreet, KSU, SOS Malta, Aditus - Accessing Rights, PEN Malta and [...]
“These acts are not only condemnable but have no place in society.” That was a categorical concluding remark by Prime Minister Robert Abela in a short statement this morning reacting to the fake emails and websites that have been circulating for a week now. That statement was something many of us have been hoping for. [...]
I am sincerely grateful for all the messages of support, sympathy, and solidarity that I have received over the last few days. I admit I was close to buckling under the pressure. I am not immune to intimidation. I am sincerely grateful to journalists and media managers from several media houses who did not wait [...]