Meta Abela u l-PN kienu jħokku dahar xulxin

Robert Abela hu s-suġġett kurrenti tal-billboards tal-PN. Imma, bħal ma jiġri dejjem, il-kampanja tal-PN fuq il-billboards tgħid biċċa waħda żgħira mill-istorja vera. Tiffoka fuq il-ġid li akkumula Abela permezz tal-kuntratti ta’ xogħol professjonali assoċjat mal-Gvern, speċjalment permezz tal-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar.  Il-billboard iwassal il-messaġġ politiku li Robert Abela jiġi jaqa’ u jqum u li huwa insensittiv. Jgħidilna li filwaqt li hu għamel żmien jiffanga bi dħul ta’ €17,000 fix-xahar int tikkrepa b’żieda miżera ta’ €1.75 fil-ġimgħa għall-għoli tal-ħajja.

Il-punt bażiku reali, imma, li l-billboard jinjora kompletament hu kif il-PLPN jimmanipulaw il-finanzi tal-pajjiż u l-proċeduri tax-xiri ta’ servizzi biex iżommu lill-ħbieb kuntenti u lill-għedewwa taħt kontroll.

Il-billboard tal-PN, jgħidilna li l-uffiċċju legali ta’ Robert Abela, xi żmien ilu, kellu dħul ta’ mhux inqas minn €17,000 fix-xahar mis-servizz professjonali legali li kien jagħti lill-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar. Il-billboard, imma,  ma jgħidilna xejn dwar kif dan kollu oriġina minn sejħa għal espressjoni ta’ interess u sussegwentement direct order lil George Abela li kienet imbierka mill-Gvern immexxi minn Lawrence Gonzi.   Dan seħħ fi żmien meta Abela ma kienx f’relazzjoni tajba la mal-Partit Laburista u inqas u inqas mat-tmexxija tal-istess partit!

F’sezzjoni tal-media kien irrappurtat li dan kollu beda fl-istess żmien meta George Abela aċċetta l-istedina biex jifforma parti mill-core group, parti mill-proċess preparatorju li kellu jwassal biex Malta tissieħeb fl-Unjoni Ewropea. George Abela ipparteċipa f’dan il-core group minkejja li l-Partit Laburista, li tiegħu sa ftit qabel hu kien Deputy Leader, kien jopponi din il-proposta b’qilla kbira.

Meta George Abela kien nominat u sussegwentement ġie appuntat President tar-Republika mill-Gvern ta’ Lawrence Gonzi, ibnu Robert ħa f’idejh it-tmexxija tal-uffiċċju legali ta’ missieru. Huwa u jagħmel dan, avukat ieħor li kien sħab ma’ George Abela spiċċa barra. Jingħad li ma qablux fuq kif ser jaqsmu dak li jdaħħal l-uffiċċju! Ftit wara, dan l-avukat l-ieħor spiċċa CEO tal-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar. Min hawn il-quddiem il-familja Abela ma kelliex diffikulta biex tgawdi r-rigal sostanzjali tal-Gvern ta’  Lawrence Gonzi. Il-familja Abela setgħet isserraħ rasha għax fil-mument tal-bżonn il-Gvern ta’ Lawrence Gonzi kien hemm għall-għajnuna. Wara kollox, mhux għalhekk qegħdin il-ħbieb?  

Ta’ Abela kienu attentissimi li ħobżhom jieħdu ħsiebu sewwa! Dejjem irnexxielhom!  Biex jaslu iddefendew kull taħwid fl-ippjanar għall-użu tal-art tul is-snin, kemm dak taħt il-Gvern ta’ Gonzi kif ukoll dak taħt is-suċċessur tiegħu Joseph Muscat.

Tul is-snin id-direct order lill-uffiċċju legali tal-familja Abela mhux biss ġie ikkonfermat, talli kiber fl-iskop u fil-ħlas li ġġenera.

Waqt dan kollu kien hemm leħen wieħed kritiku ta’ dak li kien qed jiġri: kien kritiku tad-direct order tal-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar lill-uffiċċju legali tal-familja Abela. Dan kien Joe Mizzi,  l-Membru Parlamentari Laburista mill-Kalkara. Kien qiesu seqer, jaf x’inhu jiġri, għax hu kien ir-rappresentant tal-Opposizzjoni Laburista fuq il-Bord tal-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar.

Joe Mizzi dam ftit mhux ħażin biex ħa tweġiba għal dan kollu. Dan seħħ meta tħalla barra minn l-ewwel Kabinett ta’ Robert Abela liema Kabinett tħabbar nhar il-15 ta’ Jannar 2020!  Imma sa dak in-nhar hu kien ilu jappoġġa l-kandidatura ta’ Chris Fearne għat-tmexxija tal-Partit Laburista.

Din hi l-istorja li l-billboard jaħbi. Storja ta’ kemm meta kien meħtieġ il-familja Abela u l-PN kienu  jħokku dar xulxin!

ippubblikat fuq Illum: il-Ħadd 6 ta’ Frar 2022

Abela’s bread: buttered on both sides!

Robert Abela is the current billboard boy of the PN. The PN’s campaign, all over their billboards, however, only emphasises part of the real story: it is focused on Abela’s wealth generated through government contracts, specifically through the Planning Authority. It makes the political point that Robert Abela does not care. He is insensitive, states the billboard: he gluttons through €17,000 per month; you get a miserly €1.75 per week cost of living increase.

The real basic issue however, conveniently avoided by the billboard, is how the PLPN manipulate the country’s finances and procurement procedures to keep friends happy and foes on a leash.

The PN billboard points to the fact that the legal office of Robert Abela, at a recent point in time, had an income of at least €17,000 per month from legal services rendered to the Planning Authority.  The billboard does not, however, in any way indicate, that the contract was originally the result of an expression of interest and subsequently of a direct order. This was carried out with the compliments of the Lawrence Gonzi led PN government to George Abela, Robert’s father, at a time when the Abelas had very sour relations with the Labour Party and its leadership!

Sections of the media have reported that this lucrative relationship commenced at the same time that George Abela accepted the invitation to take part in the EU accession core group, part of the preparatory process leading to Malta’s accession to the European Union. George Abela participated in this core group notwithstanding that, the Labour Party, of which some time previously he had been deputy leader, was an aggressive opponent of the EU accession proposal. I am informed that additional members of the core group were Harry Vassallo, Lino Briguglio, Joe Saliba and Godfrey Baldacchino.

When George Abela was nominated and appointed President of the Republic by the Gonzi Government, his son Robert took over the running of the law firm. In the process the other lawyer who was a partner in the Abela law firm was immediately squeezed out of the firm. It is rumoured that they disagreed on the distribution of the profits of the law firm. As a result, the other lawyer was offered and he eventually assumed the role as CEO of the Planning Authority. The Abelas consequently had no obstacle to retaining full control of the lucrative gifts of the Lawrence Gonzi government. The Abelas had their mind at rest that at times of need Lawrence Gonzi and his government could always be relied upon. After all that is what friends are for!

The Abelas always sought to have their bread buttered on both sides. They were quite successful in this respect throughout the years. In the process they defended tooth and nail many a planning mess, both those created by the Gonzi government as well as also those created by his successor Joseph Muscat.

The PN direct order to the Abela law firm was confirmed throughout the years and widened in scope. The payments made increased accordingly.

I remember one solitary voice at that time denouncing the lucrative direct order of the Planning Authority to the Abela law firm: it was the Kalkara Labour MP Joe Mizzi. Joe Mizzi knew what was going on from day one: he was the representative of the Labour Party Parliamentary Opposition on the Board of the Planning Authority.

Payback for Joe Mizzi took quite some time to arrive. He was left out of the first Robert Abela Cabinet on the 15 January 2020!  But by then he had also endorsed Chris Fearne in the Labour leadership contest.

This is the real background to the billboard boy’s story!

published in the Malta Independent on Sunday : 5 February 2022

Open a bottle of wine baby!

The developments over the past week in the investigation into the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia in Bidnija have been substantial.

At this point in time, it appears that, as a result of the Malta Police having been assisted by more experienced investigators, they have possibly started mastering the technological divide which, until fairly recently seemed unbridgeable. Searches, arrests and arraignments have followed in quick succession. Other hitherto unsolved crimes involving bombs in the past few months may now possibly be on the verge of being solved too.

The systematic and detailed leaks to both local and foreign news outlets are apparently a celebration of this new technological mastery, although those master-minding the leaks may also be sending messages to those who can still spill the beans as to who commissioned the assassination.

“Open a bottle of wine, baby!” Feeding the press with titbits as to the celebratory bottle of wine requested by the same fingers which triggered the bomb through an SMS may send shivers down our spines as to the carefully planned assassination and the ruthlessness of the perpetrators. This precise detail was then followed by the information that the mobile phone used to trigger the bomb had exceeded its credit limit which led to a hitch, as a result of which an essential €5 mobile phone credit top-up served to unmistakeably identify the fingers operating the deadly phone.

A detailed examination of the conversations and messages exchanged through the deadly mobile phone has, most probably, revealed much more information which -rightly- has not been yet released. Even this information may be ultra-sensitive, at this point in time, in the exercise to identify those who may have commissioned this murder.

Undoubtedly, police investigators will have identified a multitude of possibilities, some realistic, others far-fetched, as to who could have had an interest in commissioning the assassination. Some of those arrested during the large-scale police operation in Marsa, Ħaż-Żebbuġ and St.Paul’s Bay earlier this week, are, in fact, indicative of this investigative line of action, even though seven of those arrested were eventually released on police bail.

Among the leaked information is the fact that the assassination has been planned for two months, meaning that the police have detailed information of electronic messages and phone conversations spanning this long. This undoubtedly will be the source of much more information that has so far been withheld. It could point towards other leads of crucial importance to understanding the still unknown elements of the plot.

The leaks are undoubtedly sourced at the nerve centre of the investigation. They reveal  uneasiness on the part of the police with regard to the local media, opting to leak substantial information to the foreign press. The local media also demands information, even though at times to make this available would clearly be counterproductive. The police would do well to invest substantially in some professional training on how to deal with the press. The top brass of the police force (starting with Commissioner Cutajar) clearly need it.

Notwithstanding these developments, basic misgivings about the investigation itself remain. The bad move on the part of Magistrate Consuelo Scerri-Herrera, who rushed head-on into the investigation when it was ethical to have stayed miles away from it, as well as the involvement of Deputy Commissioner Silvio Valletta, are serious mistakes that should have been avoided. The results obtained so far in the investigation do not cancel out these basic mistakes.

The arraignments made so far are a step forward. The case will, however, only be solved when those commissioning the assassination, as well as their motives, are known. It is only then that Daphne will rest in peace.

published in The Malta Independent on Sunday – 10 December 2017

Iftaħli flixkun inbid, qalbi!

L-iżviluppi matul il-ġimgħa li għaddiet fl-investigazzjoni dwar il-qtil ta’ Daphne Caruana Galizia fil-Bidnija kienu sostanzjali. Jidher li l-Pulizija Maltija, bħala riżultat tal-għajnuna li rċieviet minn forzi tal-ordni ta’ pajjiżi oħra b’esperjenza vasta f’dawn it-tip ta’ investigazzjonijiet bdew jitgħallmu jużaw it-teknoloġija biex isolvu l-investigazzjonijiet. Bħala riżultat ta’ dan segwew tfittxijiet u arresti, u tlieta ttellgħu l-Qorti akkużati bil-qtil. Jidher ukoll li każijiet oħra ta’ qtil b’bombi li seħħew fl-aħħar xhur hu possibli ħafna li jissolvew.

L-informazzjoni li ħarġet u għada ħierġa kemm lill-medja lokali kif ukoll lil dik barranija jidher li hi ċelebrazzjoni ta’ dan l-għarfien ġdid: li t-teknoloġija tista’ wara kollox tkun għodda tajba u utli ħafna fl-investigazzjonijiet. Imma jista’ jkun ukoll li l-informazzjoni li ħarġet hi ukoll messaġġ li issa, wara kollox, ftit baqa’ mistur u li min għandu jikxef il-ftit li baqa’ jaqbillu jiċċaqlaq: min ordna l-qtil ta’ Daphne Caruana Galizia?

“Iftaħli flixkun inbid, qalbi!” Li nkunu nafu dwar t-talba għal-flixkun inbid biex jiċċelebra, liema talba saret minn l-istess swaba’ li splodew il-bomba permezz ta’ SMS li ntbagħtet hi aħbar li għandha tqabbadna l-bard għax tikxef il-preparazzjoni u l-kefrija ta’ dawk li ħejjew għal u wettqu dan il-qtil. Dan id-dettal hu segwit minn informazzjoni li t-telefon ċellulari li ntuża biex tkun sploduta l-bomba kien wasal fil-limitu, għax ma kienx baqa’ flus u li kien meħtieġ top-up ta’ €5. Kien bħala riżultat ta’ dan it-top-up li ġew identifikati l-identità tas-swaba’ qerrieda.

Bla dubju, eżami dettaljat tal-messaġġi u l-konverzazzjonijiet li seħħew bil-mobile qerriedi żvelaw ħafna iktar minn hekk. B’mod għaqli dan s’issa għadu mhux magħruf mill-pubbliku. Għax jista’ jkun li din l-informazzjoni għad tista’ twassal f’ras il-għajn: min ordna l-qtil. Dawk li qed imexxu l-investigazzjoni mingħajr dubju jkunu identifikaw il-parti l-kbira tal-possibilitajiet dwar x’seta ġara: uħud rejalistiċi, oħrajn xi ftit jew wisq inġebbda: possibilitajiet dwar min seta’ kellu interess li jordna dan il-qtil. Uħud minn dawk arrestati bħala riżultat tal-operazzjoni tal-Pulizija li seħħet iktar kmieni din il-ġimgħa fil-Marsa, Ħaż-Żebbuġ u San Pawl il-Baħar jindikaw x’qed jaħsbu l-investgaturi dwar dawn il-possibilitajiet.

Fost l-informazzjoni li ħarġet hemm li l-qtil kien ilu jkun ippjanat għal madwar xahrejn. Dan ifisser li fl-investigazzjoni tagħhom il-pulizija eżaminaw tal-inqas informazzjoni elettronika li tmur lura tal-inqas xahrejn. Dan ifisser ukoll li hemm ħafna iktar informazzjoni li s’issa għad ma ħarġitx għax probabbilment m’huwiex għaqli li din toħroġ minħabba li titfa dawl fuq dak li s’issa għadu mhux magħruf: min ordna l-qtil?

L-informazzjoni bla ebda dubju ħarġet minn ras il-għajn. Imma turi Pulizija li m’hiex kunfidenti mal-istampa lokali u li għaldaqstant għażlet dik barranija biex tiżvela dak li riedet. Anke l-istampa lokali għandha dritt li tkun infurmata avolja kulltant din l-informazzjoni tista’ tkun kontro-produċenti. Jidher ċar li l-Pulizija għandha bżonn tinvesti f’taħriġ professjonali fuq l-imġieba tagħha mal-istampa. Taħrig li għandu jingħata lill-fizzjali kollha: jistgħu jibdew mill-Kummissarju Cutajar.

Minkejja dak kollu li seħħ matul din il-ġimgħa, l-kritika inizzjali dwar l-investigazzjoni tibqa’ waħda valida. Il-pass żbaljat tal-Maġistrat Consuelo Scerri-Herrera li telqet tiġri lejn il-Bidnija biex tibda l-investigazzjoni meta kien ovvju li għal raġunijiet etiċi kellha tibqa’ l-bogħod kemm jista’ jkun jibqa’ żball li jeħtieġ li jkun indirizzat biex ma jkunx hemm ripetizzjoni tiegħu. Anke l-involviment tad-Deputat Kummissarju Silvio Valletta kien żball oħxon li ma jitħassax bir-riżultati miksuba s’issa.

Il-konkluzjonijiet s’issa tal-investigazzjoni huma pass il-quddiem. Il-kaz imma ikun riżolt biss meta jkun magħruf min ordna l-qtil kif ukoll il-motivi tiegħu jew tagħha. Huwa biss f’dak il-ħin li Daphne tkun tista’ tistrieħ fis-sliem.

 

Ippubblikat f’Illum – 10 ta’ Diċembru 2017

 

Thanks O Lord for giving us DOM

After that superficial film “Dear Dom” has been showing for some time, given that a large number of Maltese citizens are shocked as to the content of the said film (how dare he) I would humbly suggest an alternative based on the following 6 points :

1. Dom was God’s gift to Malta. We should light candles and praise the Lord for this gift.
2. Human rights in Malta know their first pronouncement to Dom who was their most steadfast defender. The Gaddafi Prize for Human Rights is adequate recognition of the effort made!
3. The media should thank their lucky stars that Dom was Prime Minister as he entrenched freedom of expression and completely removed the Laws of Libel. The media during his time was as free as can be.
4. Dom led the first transparent Government in Malta: the media could ask anything, and they had the information at hand before even asking.
5. The shareholders of the National Bank of Malta should thank their lucky stars that they had a staunch defender in Dom Mintoff. If anyone else had been Prime Minister he wouldn’t give a fuck about their rights (jigi jitnejjek mill-Kostituzzjoni). Anyone less serious would have removed their limited liability to have them face the music. But Dom, he  was no bully. He defended the hard working citizen.
6. The civil service should thank Dom for making their period of service a memorable one. Transfers on political grounds were history during the Dom Prime Ministership. Everybody got his due. Promotions were never withheld to those who were not Labour Party lackeys. The more you were critical of Dom Mintoff and his government the more you were respected.  Dom even discriminated against Labour Party supporters to ensure that those supporting the PN and Mabel Strickland got the highest appointments in the Civil Service.