L-assassinju: meta jkollok il-ħbieb fis-suq

Ix-xhieda fil-Qorti ta’ Melvyn Theuma iktar kmieni din il-ġimgħa fil-proċeduri kriminali ta’ Yorgen Fenech, in-negozjant akkużat bħala l-moħħ wara l-assassinazzjoni ta’ Daphne Caruana Galizia, hi tat-tkexkix. Huwa faċli li tinjora din ix-xhieda u twarrabha bħala bla ebda utilità minħabba li hu stess kien involut fil-preparazzjoni neċessarja biex il-qtil taħt investigazzjoni jseħħ. Xi drabi, sfortunatament, l-istat ikollu jaqa’ għal din it-tip ta’ kollaborazzjoni biex jipprova jsolvi delitti ppjanati sewwa. Hu l-unika mod kif kultant id-dinja kriminali tista’ tiġi megħluba.

Isem Chris Cardona, Deputat Mexxej tal-Partit Laburista, reġa tfaċċa f’dawn il-proċeduri kriminali. Diġa kien issemma’ waqt li Yorgen Fenech kien qed ikun interrogat u irċieva ittri fiċ-ċella fid-Depot tal-Pulizija li kienu jissuġġerulu biex jitfa l-ħtija fuq Cardona.

Fid-dinja demokratika mhiex xi ħaġa ta’ kuljum li isem politiku anzjan jissemma’ f’investigazzjoni dwar qtil. Mhux magħruf kemm il-Pulizija investigaw it-truf li kellhom dwar Cardona. Kien ikun raġjonevolI li nagħtu lill-Pulizija l-benefiċċju tad-dubju kieku ma kienx għal punt wieħed importanti: il-ħbiberija mill-viċin bejn l-akkużat Yorgen Fenech ma’ dak li kien id-Deputat Kummissarju tal-Pulizija Silvio Valletta li, fl-iktar mumenti kruċjali kien qed imexxi l-investigazzjoni dwar l-assassinju ta’ Daphne Caruana Galizia.

Il-ħbiberija bejn l-akkużat Yorgen Fenech u Silvio Valletta kienet b’saħħitha tant li quddiem it-tfal kien jirreferi għalih bħala iz-ziju Silvio. Li jivvjaġġaw flimkien biex jaraw logħob taċ-Champions League fi Stamford Bridge, Kiev u bnadi oħra, inkella ikla fir-razzett ta’ Fenech kienu affarijiet normali.

Ix-xhieda ta’ Melvyn Theuma ma tantx poġġiet l-investiġazzjoni f’dawl tajjeb. Il-kamra li l-pulizija jużaw għall-interrogazzjoni qiesha passatur bl-informazzjoni toħroġ permezz ta’ Silvio Valletta inkella permezz tal-uffiċċju tal-Prim Ministru: Joseph Muscat, dakinnhar Prim Ministru jkun aġġornat u b’Keith Schembri ħdejh attent jixrob l-informazzjoni. Ix-xhieda ta’ Theuma indikat li dan wassal biex ċirku limitat barra mill-korp tal-pulizija jkun konxju ta’ numru ta’ dettalji importanti dwar l-investigazzjoni, bħad-data tar-raid fit-tinda tal-patata fejn dawk ikkuntrattati biex iwettqu l-assassinju kienu eventwalment arrestati.

Hemm tlett talbiet oħra għall-proklama. Tħajru minn Melvyn Theuma. It-tlieta ddikjaraw li jistgħu jagħtu biżżejjed informazzjoni li biha jkunu identifikati dawk realment wara l-assassinju. Imma jekk dan iseħħx ħadd ma jista’ jgħid għalissa. Ħaġa waħda biss hi ċara s’issa: li Yorgen Fenech qiegħed jidher għal ħaddieħor. Min hemm warajh? Hemm numru ta’ ismijiet ta’ persuni assoċjati mal-uffiċċju tal-Prim Ministru li ssemmew fi stadji differenti tal-proċeduri kriminali li għaddejjin bħalissa.

Iktar ma qiegħed jgħaddi żmien, iktar qed titħabbel il-kobba!

Il-fatt li Robert Abela, Prim Ministru attwali, kien il-konsulent tal-predeċessur tiegħu ma tantx jagħmilha faċli biex tifhem eżattament x’inhu għaddej. Chris Cardona tneħħa mill-Kabinett imma ma jidhirx li l-Partit Laburista hu b’xi mod ippreokkupat li għandu lid-deputat mexxej kontinwament fl-aħbarijiet għal raġunijiet żbaljati. Iktar ma nisimgħu dwar dan l-assassinju iktar jikkumplikaw ruħhom l-affarijiet. Ma naħsibx li jiċċaraw wisq meta jixhdu iktar persuni fosthom Keith Schembri u Joseph Muscat.

L-impunità li gawdew uħud sal-lum hi dipendenti fuq il-ħbieb proverbjali fis-suq. It-tibdil fit-tmexxija fil-bidu tas-sena setgħet bidlet kollox. Imma jidher li kullma inbidlu huma l-uċuħ: il-bqija kollox baqa’ għaddej. Iż-żmien biss jista’ jwassalna lejn soluzzjoni.

Ippubblikat fuq Illum : Il-Ħadd 7 ta’ Ġunju 2020

The assassination: having friends in the right places

The testimony delivered in Court this week by Melvyn Theuma in the criminal case of Yorgen Fenech, the businessman accused with masterminding the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia, is numbing. It is very easy to dismiss his testimony as being useless as a result of his participation in the preparation required for executing the crime being investigated. Unfortunately, the state must seek this type of collaboration in order to try and solve carefully planned crime. It is the only way in which the criminal brotherhood can at times be outfoxed.

The name of Chris Cardona, Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, has resurfaced in the criminal proceedings. His name had already made the headlines when Yorgen Fenech was under interrogation, having letters delivered to his police HQ cell suggesting that he pins the blame on Cardona.

In the democratic world It is not an everyday occurrence that a senior politician’s name crops up in a murder investigation. So far, the level of investigation carried out by the police into Cardona, remains unknown. It would be reasonable to give the police the benefit of the doubt, were it not for one very important point: the close friendship of the accused Yorgen Fenech with former Deputy Commissioner of Police Silvio Valletta, who was in charge of leading the investigation into the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia at its most crucial stages.

The bond of friendship of the accused Yorgen Fenech with Silvio Valletta was so strong that he is known to have referred to him as Uncle Silvio in front of younger members of his family. Travelling to Champion’s League matches at Stamford Bridge, Kiev or elsewhere, and enjoying lunch at Fenech’s ranch was not an out of the normal occurrence.

The testimony of Melvyn Theuma has so far painted a very grim picture of the investigations. The police interrogation room was leaking like a sieve. Theuma’s testimony has indicated that this had resulted in a small circle outside the police HQ being aware of important investigation details, such as the date of the raid at the Marsa potato shed, where those contracted to carry out the assassination were eventually arrested.

There are three pending requests for turning state evidence, joining Melvyn Theuma. All three have declared that they can provide information which could nail those really responsible for contracting the assassination. Whether this can materialise is anybody’s guess. There is however one thing which by now is becoming very clear: Yorgen Fenech may be standing-in for somebody else. Who is it? Various names of persons linked with the Office of the Prime Minister have been mentioned during the different stages of the criminal proceedings currently under way.

The plot thickens by the minute.

The fact that Robert Abela, current Prime Minister, was legal advisor to the former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, does not make it easier to decipher the links and the at times cryptic messages flying around. Cardona was kicked out of Cabinet but it seems that the Labour Party is not perturbed in having a Deputy Leader who is continuously in the news for the wrong reasons.

The more we hear about the assassination the more confusing it gets. Things may not necessarily get clearer when more witnesses take the stand, possibly including both Keith Schembri and his boss former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat.

The impunity enjoyed to date by some is dependent on having friends in the right place at the right time. The changing of the guard earlier this year could have ended the game. Unfortunately, it seems that nothing has changed. Only time and determination can solve the riddle.

published in The Malta Independent on Sunday : 7 June 2020

Public appointments and Parliament’s responsibilities

Two press conferences yesterday evening placed more information relative to the oil commissions scandal in the public domain, just a few hours after two other businessmen were arraigned in Court.

With four men in court on charges of corruption, bribery and money laundering the two press conferences resulted in various other declarations which would result in a queue of resignations in any civilised country.

There seems to be anticipated delight in the pot calling the kettle black.

In this scenario, a number of omissions by those elected to Parliament over the years assume additional significance.

One undoubtedly queries the lack of a Whistleblowers Act which if enacted in accordance with electoral commitments would have established long ago clear parameters to be followed by those divulging information on economic crime (corruption, bribery and money laundering). In its absence we are still dependent of the elected politicians’ use of the instrument of “state evidence” on the basis of ad hoc criteria.

Alternattiva Demokratika yesterday focused on another important point: the manner in which appointments to public office are made. To date the powers of Parliament  have been usurped and transferred to Cabinet such that it is the Prime Minister or his Minsters who appoint  members of Boards or Authorities.

Parliament should reclaim its responsibilities as it should be Parliament that should decide on the appointment of Boards and Authorities of a national importance. Nominated members  of Boards of Public Authorities as well as the senior officials of such Authorities should be scrutinised by Parliament either directly or through its committees in order to ascertain that those nominated can truely serve the country and not the political interests of the political party in government.

Parliament should moreover be in a position to monitor the functions of Boards and Authorities on a continuous basis and should seek explanations from the Boards of Public Authorities and their Senior Executives on their method of operation. Parliament should ensure that whenever the operations of any public authority are scutinised by the Ombudsman his recommendations and their implementation should be discussed by Parliament.

Parliament should reclaim back from government its role of overseeer of the governance of public institutions. Unfortunately over the years a two-party Parliament has siphoned off Parliament’s responsibilities and assigned them to a government made out of just one political party.

AD in Parliament will ensure that Parliament reclaims back its functions and holds government to account continuously.

Originally published in di-ve.com on 22nd February 2013