UPDATED: Anglu Farrugia claims election corrupt practices

I do not wish to enter - in any way - on the merits of the case but, obviously, Dr. Farrugia - as a former Police officer and a lawyer - knows the implications of this case and has certainly accounted for the implications if this case is disproven by the Police.

One has to see what could or should happen if the case were somehow to be proven to have a foundation of truth given the current circumstances.

I would personally stop here and conclude by saying that comments now are superfluous as the Commissioner of Police - who enjoys the public's trust based on his track-record - needs to be allowed to carry out any investigation without any form of public pressure.

What is interesting, however, is the news coming from Italy where just last week there were newspaper reports alleging vote buying schemes involving Italians living in Germany in relation to the forthcoming Italian elections on April 13th and 14th. Interestingly, the price quoted varied from 10 to 50 Euros per vote (and a journalist managed to buy a number like this).

This was then followed by allegatons involving vote rigging through the use of mobile phones in election booths - where people were to be paid if they presented a photo of their ballot sheet with the necessary candidates given preference.

Now, just today, the Sky TG24 announced that a major case involving the Calabrese mafia was uncovered in Buenos Aires and another case involving a Sicilian politician with the surname of Micciche' and 50,000 votes was being investigated in Philadelphia!

So, we have all to be careful whichever way we comment: Nothing is new under the sun! I only hope that nothing of the sort ever happens like this in Malta.

I can't believe some of you guys are ACTUALLY believing Anglu Farrugia.

I don't need to say "I hope to God he won't be elected MLP leader" coz I know that even the most blindfolded diehards won't elect him.

He's beyond belief.
And so are all those here who believe him.

Why talk about what happened in 1987, in 1992, when there's a document in front of the Police Commissioner stating that there might have been irregularities in this election?

MR. K.SPITERI- Even if your figures are right ( I'll trust what you wrote), 2272 is by far less than 7000. And let me remind you that between 1987 & 1992, MALTA was beginning to live again after 16 years of BULK BUYING. And with the MARKET LIBERISATION of those years meant more work was generated in the country, and so more employment had to be done, both in public sector & private .

Dr Farrugia is only doing this because he thinks he stands to gain in the MLP leader election.
Well I wish him well, hoping he will get the job.
With a leader like Dr Farrugia, the PN will be guaranteed another term in office. Wow

J.Scerri Just to let you know, weeks before the 1992 election, jobs with the public sector rose by 2,272!

Lets Rizzo do his job well then you can talk about it.Thats Demokrazzja we call it in Maltese.

K.Spiteri - After the 1987 election, the Govt. had to give a job to those famous 7000 that the MLP govt. left as a will to our country. So I do't think that that Govt. could had employed another 7000 before the 1992 election !!!

My argument was that before every election, whoever is in power tries to win votes in the last days before the election.

SO ACCORDING TO DR. FARRUGIA ALL THE ELECTIONS OF THE LAST 20 YEARS ARE INVALID. AND WHY HE WAITED SO LONG TO TALK, maybe because he's in the leadership battle only now !!!

J.Scerri said "I think that the only election were votes could had been 'bought' without money but the govt. was GUILTY, that was in 1987 when 7000 people were empoyed by the MLP in the public sector in the last 3 weeks before the election."

Mr J.Scerri
How many people were employed with the public sector before the 1992 election?

Were these allegations not so deadly serious in their implications, the whole affair would indeed be risible and comic. Can anyone with enough grey matter between his ears ever come up with a sure and watertight way of proving that any voter did indeed vote according to the directions given to him by someone who handed him money to do his bidding, as is being alleged? Who can vouchsafe without any shred of doubt how a voter cast his/her vote within the confines of the polling station curtained booth? It was stated that allegedly bribed voters were made to take a photo of their marked ballot paper with their mobile phone! Wouldn't it be possible for one to take such a photo in the comfort of one's own home, using one of the many sample (..and ready marked!) ballot papers we all found in our letterboxes before the election? Even if one had to photograph the ballot paper withing the polling booth, one could always deface the same paper in any one of a hundred ways, and then ask for a fresh ballot paper from the assistant commissioners, eventually marking the ballot paper in a different way from the one that was photographed for evidence! Since one assumes that Labourites were involved in selling their soul to the devil, there is an another aspect in this sordid affair: How can a person who was so callous as to sell his allegiance to the MLP and vote instead for the PN for a few score euro be believed and relied upon when recounting such a tall story?

With all due respect to everyone, I have a nagging suspicion that all this hullaballoo is nothing but deviation ploy, concocted with the sole aim of making us shift our focus from the more ineteresting and mundane goings-on within the MLP as a result of the no-holds-barred battle for the leadership seat, exactly as we are doing now in this blog!

I'm fed up of hearing politicians blaming one another simply because they didn't obtain what they wanted. And I'm not just talking about the MLP.

Was this the only election that had the selling of votes? I doubt it. All the comments here are about those people who sold their vote to the Nationalists. What about those people who sold it to the Labour, AD, or AN? After all, how can we tell that? But I'm sure that Anglu Farrugia would not include these people in his list.

And what about those people who in reality did not want to vote or couldn't be bothered and had an opportunity to sell their vote? This would mean still not voting and getting cash for it -- great bargain! What else would you want? I know people who live abroad and were not coming to Malta to vote and were thinking about selling their vote to the other party, but didn't in the end becauase they thought they would be better off going for a holiday to Malta for just €35 and maybe invalidate (or not) their vote once at the voting booth.

Please stop doing any more harm to out country. If an investigation needs to be made, fine do it. But do not make the people fight between themselves over you stupid politicians. We have better things in life than fight for you so that all you politicians in the end will gain.

MLP, PN, AD, & AN -- you are all the same in the end. The welfare you try to maximise is your own and not the country's. You will only do things that will you personally will benefit from.

We definitely need a change and we should be able to do everything possible in this small country of ours, but in the right manner.

Excuse me Mr.Editor, but if you don't mind this time I am going to get a little bit out of subject because I have a very, very important question to make, directed to the electoral commission.
If fresh elections are held, we who served as assistant commissioners, counting agents and whatever, shall we be paid for our service during the useless election day? Shall we be reconsidered for the job during the new election?
If the answer for both questions is in the affirmative, I thank you very, very much, and egoistically speaking, and hoping that it would not be corrupt practice, I would hope, that if the new election will be nulled again, we will be paid again and reconsidered for the job during the eventual new election.
And so on, and so forth.

Let us assume this scenario

I have the money, and I want my party to win so I decided {on my own will} to buy votes in the various ways that some readers here described. What has the party to do with this ? I am guilty without any doubt but does invalidates an election even if there were many of these buyers ??!!

Sincerely, I cannot see what all the fuss is all about….come on, are we blind?
What’s some 100 bucks compared to a MEPA permit, a licence, a cosy job with a quango, a chosen tender, juicy consultancy assignments, govt. housing, a waived hefty fine…..can we dismiss that these vote eliciting feats occur, and unfortunately seem to be condoned by all?
Moreover, how appropriate were the billboards and mail shots financed from taxpayer (not party) funds?
Finally what are some euros in a citizen’s pocket, compared to the thousands secretly accepted by political parties from businessmen?
So who is buying whom, when, where, how and why and more crucially, what are the consequences?

contrary to some of the comments I believe that its the swinging voter who sells his vote to the highest bidder, and who is likely to be the highest bidder .? All you have to look at is the amount collected at "Gbir ta fondi" of both parties.
Finally I wish to take this opportunity to congratulate Albert Fenech on his comments and hope that to-days young voters must realise that it was the MLP THAT GAVE THEM DIGNITY WHILE THE CONSERVATIVES FOUGHT TOOTH AND NAIL AGAINST ALL THE BENEFITS, TOO MANY TO MENTION HERE

Dear Christina Borg, I can confirm you that in this sick country there are people who are so cheap to sell their vote to mere 150Euros, either because of drug addiction, gambling, etc. You don't imagine how many people don't give a damn about elections and for money they trade their own mother if they could. However, if you were offered 120000Euros I am pretty sure you would sell your vote.
What I ask is, why the election time was extended? Wasn't it because there were a lot more illiterate voters this time?
This is a banana republic country and dictatorial like government and supporters (if you say something against, then you should succumb).
Dear Anglu, people voted for corruption, and this was part of it, that's why they wanted the GonziPN, cos with them in Government corruption business is easy and blessed. So let's all be one corrupt happy family.

dear dr farrugia stop doing these things for the good of your party because people need good people to work and not make allegation we need to work and not always saying about corruption so work dr farrugia

'' i wonder WHY some of the people posting here want US to believe that gonzipn is the party of saints. what's behind all these hysteric reactions to anything negative about gonzipn?''

Dear Daniel Micallef,
PN are surely no saints... as well as MLP mind you... BUT you should never shout to loud cause it can back fire!

A Chinese proverb says '' go around your own house 3 times before you judge others'' ... and it seems MLP haven't done that yet.

Buying votes is highly illegal in any democracy.

This happens as follows:-

A person finds another one in need of money from the other side of the political spectrum and give him money to vote for his party. The voter will pretend to be "iletterate" and vote to the other party in front of party officials in the voting booth - this to ensure that money has delivered the desired outcome.

WE should have statistics on how many have voted as "illetarate" ans whether any how previously voted alone, now needed assistance. this would should whether vote rigging occured.

hopefully investigations will deliver justice - and if anybody did this, they will pay.

It has happened before! Joe Burrows, now deceased, was found guilty in our Courts for trading his voting document for cash. If Dr.Farrugia`s allegation are proved true,It is irrelevant if the number of votes is one, one hundred or one thousand because after all it could only be the tip of the iceberg...

Frida Farrugia, what are you trying to say?

All this fuss! All this energy wasted - so may keyboards are burning up!
Simply put, it boils down to either: It is true and the culprits pay the consequence, no matter who, why, where and what colour OR It is untrue and Anglu, what? Goes Scott free? I think, at the very least he should be charged with presenting misleading information to the police and for being a general nuisance.

M Brincat: I found this answer to your question on another website.
"@M. Brincat - remember that if Anglu tal-iljunfant’s allegations are correct, it’s the Labourites who sold their votes for thirty quid. That’s how much they love their party."

This case raises a very interesting question: why are 'hundreds' of supposed Labour voters so willing to sell at all, let alone sell so cheaply?

Veru pajjiz ta Mickey Mouse....jew Jungle Book......let us carry on with our lives instead of being giveen garbage by politicians whose interest in life is manipulating us all....end of story. And please do not compare Malta with Zimbabwe, unless you have just fallen off a banana boat!!!!!

waiting for the investigations meant nothing for JPO. pity eh!!!! what do you think mr joe vella

what I ask is this "How many voters asked for assistance at the voting booth, and how many of these requests where from the PN supporters". I'm sure that will tell us if vote irregularities were in progress.

So let me try to understand this. Alfred Sant called a press conference to resign and not to claim that there was any election rigging. did the hon Farrugia inform his leader of the information he is saying he was in possession of? very unlikely. The hon gentleman is using this as his forte to campaign for the leadership post. why didn't the MLP make any official statement on the matter? Is the hon gentleman on his own on this? If yes, why? I am sure that if there were any mal practices, the MLP would not have remained silent on the matter. Would you imagine that? Or maybe the hon gentleman kept this infromation from his Party so that he takes a political advantage from it? Wish him well in the leadership race. If he is elected, the PN will gain a lot :)

So let's just IMAGINE (that's the only thing the MLP can do right now : that JPO RESIGNS, TO FIND A GOOD LEADER ect... ) ONLY as an example, and that what is saying Dr. Farrugia is partly true and there were a couple of cases that are true.

HOW CAN HE BLAME DR. GONZI, if someone outside the party has done so !!! Dr. Gonzi is not responsible for the PN supporters (more than 143000),

I think that the only election were votes could had been 'bought' without money but the govt. was GUILTY, that was in 1987 when 7000 people were empoyed by the MLP in the public sector in the last 3 weeks before the election.
WHERE WAS DR. A. FARRUGIA THEN ?

So let us say that I want to help the PN in a general election the Hon Anglu Farrugia way. I would find some Nationalist voters, convince them to sell me their vote, pay them a maximum of €150 each, and document the deal by asking for a receipt of the payment. I would then store the votes and the receipts. If PN had to lose the election, I would take the votes and receipts, report them to the police, and hope that such a deal would be considered as corrupt practices and declare the election lost by the PN as null. This is a real case of ‘power to the people’ as it would give each and every one of us the power to declare an election result as null.

Were they paid in Lemons Anglu?

Ah!!....so its the GonziPN government shaking !!! Thank God.... I thought it was another tremor !!..... Just a little thought..... Maybe KMB should contest the leadership as well ?..... The one that succeeded him didn't do much better !!

I wonder what Daphne has to say about this issue ... please inspire us!!

Dear Angela Pace,
is anyone saying that the Pn is purer than white?.....of course not....i don't think there's a politician or anyone in this world ( apart from the POPE maybe) who's purer than pure and I think that JPO should resign....but thats not the argument here... the argument is that whether this is true or not if you think that the MLP lost because of this than you're only fooling yourself!!!! yes lets wait for the investigation but in the meantime i do hope that some of you here make a deep political analysis and look at the fact that your Party told you that you were going to win and lost, that your party twice in 5 years told you that you should celebrate and you had to return home after an hour....Have you ever thought how you look when you do these things!!?....I mean even now, in the frentic push of those who have robbed the MLP from you , you are excluding people like Alfred Mifsud and G.Abela....and why? Because they haven't been loyal enough!! Why are they afraid of giving a voice to the tesserati?? If the tesserati feel betrayed by G.Abela give them a voice to say it.......don't suffocate it and presume to have the power to speak in their name. Dear Labour supporters can't you see that your Party has NO ALLIES....who are Labour's friends??? With ppl like A.Farriuga the MLP will remain where it is: attractive ( VERY attractive it seems from this blog!!) to Labourites...it will remain the sole property of the Labourites.....it will remain a very big influential Party stuck to Opposition benches!!! ......come on this is the truth and no JPO and no wild claims are going to cover this reality. Do you want to be winners again or not? Do you want to win an election or not?? I think yes.......shouting slogans and hating Gonzi from morning to night aint going to help!!!

i wonder WHY some of the people posting here want US to believe that gonzipn is the party of saints. what's behind all these hysteric reactions to anything negative about gonzipn?

Dr.Agu Farrugia did just what our PM told us to do - report to the commissioner of the police. So why are now nationalists supporters complaining over here?

Maybe after the the JPO case now nationalists should know more that their party is not as pure and saint as some project it...

Another question please. When exactly did Dr.Farrugia know about the vote trading? Was it immediately after the result was known? If so, doesn't he think that he should have informed Dr. Sant immediately? Who knows, Dr. Sant might have considered not to resign.
If the epilogue of Dr. Farrugia's allegations will be the holding of fresh elections, as the perception in these comments is, it will not be fair that th Labour Party will face the electorate with a new leader.
Therefore the election for a new leader of the Malta Labour Party should be postponed indefinitely until the investigations are over.

So if a drug addict sold his or her vote for €70 then that is corrupt practices and “blame it on GONZIPN”? And what do curtains at polling-booths have to do with the issue? Not to long ago, during the time Alfred Sant was president of the Labour Party, the curtains served no purpose as there were numerous bullies who would harass Nationalist voters in the polling-booth itself. The same story Hon Anglu Farrugia is propagating has done the rounds in Gozo, this time the other way round with people close to the potential Labour Ministers of Gozo buying votes from Nationalist voters. I hope that the Nationalist Party won’t argue that it won the election with such a slim majority because of such ‘corrupt practices’ by labour.

Dear Maria Dolores Flores, I will not ask the Assisstant Commissioenrs. I will ask you where were the labour representatives at the Polling Booth. If it was happening why no one opjected to it. Or they fell asleep?

Frida Farrugia, that is what have been saying about JPO. Wait for the investigation to be completed.


Is this again a VIRTUE that has only now discovered by you and all those behind that Glass, red painted building just discovered now.?

Keith Abela, the following is a quote from your post so I do not want ot be misunderstood; "In a real democracy, people are obliged to report illegal practices to competent authorities unless they want to be associated themselves. One cannot defend the wrong with other wrong."

Is this a VIRTUE that you and all those behind that Glass, red painted building just discovered now.?

just in case that police found that these are true allegations, i suggest that our president will give "mahfra presidenzjjali" like he gives to zeppi l-hafi to those who recieved the money for their vote.

First of all its not labourites who have sold their votes but disgruntled nationalists who had vowed not to vote and people who couldn't care less about politics. As for €70 being too measly a sum to sell one's vote try maybe a drug addict who is only interested in getting money for his next fix. These things have happend. Why were curtains introduced in polling-booths? Come on people stop seeing everything through blue tinted glasses....Gonzipn is no party of saints like they want us to believe.

Right lets take away the heading on this article but still look at the blogs .Or even better lets change it to JPO didn't lie and Dr Sant should have faced him .It was only 2-3 weeks ago that the same people on here was saying this from both parties naturally with a different opinion .We still do not know the outcome of the JPO farce ( no idea how long thats going to take )and does anyone on here know if this is untrue ?.Well i for one would not be surprised at all !!!!!.

There s nothing wrong in investigating such possible irregularities. If there's sufficient proof, I hope action is taken against those responsible and justice is done. Hurling abuse at the whistleblower in question isn t going to make the allegations go away. Such an act merely serves to highlight one's own ignorance.

tajba din u the p.n supporters always believe that there party is as pure as a holy saint. at least wait for the investegations and then comment. dont forget about JPO i bet he had let you down a bit so pls wait dont forget that flimkien kollox possibli

For all those who are shocked with Anglu Farrugia taking the responsibility to report rampant irregularities that came to his attention, I tell them to wakeup and get to know the meaning of words like transparency, honesty and accountability. In a real democracy, people are obliged to report illegal practices to competent authorities unless they want to be associated themselves. One cannot defend the wrong with other wrong. This is what is really bring the true weakining of the rule of law in our state. It is high time that everyone starts to shoulder his responsibility and not point his fingers against others.

Dear Joe Vella,
Ask those who were Assisstant Commissioners during the last election, how many of them heard people taking photos with their mobiles. It's not the case of who you support, but I hope that people are still honest and demand to know the truth!
And if what Dr Farrugia is saying is the truth, then what will happen then?
If the PN wants to be credible that it wants to fight corruption, then the PN ought to help Dr Farrugia (and not condemn him) so that the truth shall be know.

Some of your younger readers/bloggers give me the feeling they have a belief that the GonziPN has an impeccable, lilywhite record in Maltese politics. There are also aspects that some of your older bloggers have conveniently forgotten. A study of the “darker” side of the Nationalist Party’s DNA will reveal a historically chronicled record of manipulation. This was the party that started off as the Partito Nazionale (yes, a so-called Maltese “nationalist” party but with an Italian name because its protagonists spoke Italian and opined that the Maltese language was best left to the workers, the kitchen-sink brigade who were regarded as the “marmalja”).

Above all, this has always been a party that enlisted God and the Church as their “witnesses”. Thus Lord Strickland was branded a “freemason” by the infamous slanderous testimony of Terrinu, was interdicted by the Church Authorities and subsequently lost the General Election. This was the same party that expressed sympathy for Mussolini and his fascists. This was the same party that branded Dom Mintoff “a communist” and led the Church Authorities to interdict him and MLP supporters, leaving the PN free to win successive elections in 1962 and 1966, and failed to back Mintoff in his 1958 drive for Malta’s independence (Malta’s Archbishop then was Sir Michael Gonzi – I believe the great uncle of the present PM Dr. Lawrence Gonzi). This is and was the same party that refused to accept the result of the 1981 General Elections even though they had agreed to the pre-electoral terms, causing years of political and economic turmoil. This is the same party whose leader was taken to Court and fined for slandering MLP Leader Dr. Alfred Sant and was later Prime Minister and then made President of Malta.

I record these facts lest we should ever forget.

Imagine this situation: I employ you without any so to say working permit. So I am breaking the law, probably paying you less than you deserve but that is the only job you have, so you can't quit. On the eve of the election i come to you asking to buy your vote or else I fire you. These are the way these things happen. i have seen some postings here seeming to come from really low IQ people thinking that vote buying is something that is advertised. that is not the way these things go. No one would go to Piazza Regina asking to buy votes. People are usually abused to sell their vote. Let us wait for the investigations to be carried out. In the meantime I wonder who are the 2 MPs involved!

By the way I would like to "officially" use this most popular blog to welcome Dr.Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici back to the folds of the MLP ( anti-PfP campaign) and L-Orizzont's total endorsement of his ideas.............hey coming to think of it why not have Anglu Farriuga as Leader......KMB as Deputy.....and who knows one of those Labourites who sold their votes as the General Secretary!!

Song Request----"the only Way is Up.....Labour" (hahahahahahaha)

Dear Noel Cutajar,
My question to Dr Farrugia is as clear as crystal -
Answer 'Yes' or 'NO' . I shall not repeat it again.
No other arguement or justification from anyone is relevent to my direct question.
I know enough about the case you mentioned and I also have known Dr . Farrugia since we were in our teens. We are still old school freinds.
I do not share ALL his political views but I have respect for this person maybe more than some individuals from his same political field.
This is why I am asking him this question because I know he is intelligent enough to respond in a most credible manner.

Clouseau would come to the same conclusion.

First JPO ... now vote buying ... I guess that Gonzi's PM seat in Parliament is already shaking! Ha ha! Flimkien KOLLOX Possibbliiiiiiiiii.;

If the claims are through, I condemn such thing for its a against democracy and freedom.

Are we to blame only the MP's if this is true? If these dear angel knows who they are, is he going to accept them in the MLP? If "Labour voters" sold there vote, this thus mean that 150euros or more are better than a 5 year Labour Goverment, better than half surcharge? (seems it would be certainly so)

I am understanding the concept of reception class...another year of indoctrination of Socialist values, maybe!!!

Song request: Lemon Tree

Carissimo (??!!) E.Borg Bonello...........yes you're laughing...that's exactly what many labourites will be doing for the coming five years while GonziPn governs the country.......very clearly Mr.Borg Bonello is uncomfortable talking about an election campaign which turned a 15,000 majority into a 1,580 minority....very clearly Mr.Borg Bonello does not want to discuss why his beloved party has not obtained a majority in 1981, 1987, 1992, 1998, 2003 and 2008!! Clearly the fact that when all the odds were in favour of the MLP the Party still managed to lose doesn't ring bells in his ears!! Clearly Mr.Borg Bonello is still living in the pre-2003 election bandying the words "deal or no deal....?" to try and ridicule the Prime Minister and a Labourite like himself!! Well dring dring!! The election's over!! dring dring the MLP lost!! dring dring this is the third consecutive defeat!! dring dring have you woken up Mr.Borg bonello?!!!

.........by the way i was laughing on the 10th and the 11th of March.....thinking that all those ballerina's were not enough, all those corruption charges were not enough, thinking that those wails of pain and poverty were not enough, thinking that 20 full years were not enough and the people struck a deal and the deal was Gonzi..............go on vote Anglu as Leader, go on show that socialism runs in your blood, go on elect him Leader of Opposition.....you'll be handing the PN more electoral victories....go on call my bluff!!!!!

P.S---when 8,000 jobs and hundreds of govt. flats were given on the eve of the 1987 election the ppl still voted Karmenu OUT!! 'Coz the ppl wanted change!! This time the desire for change seemed to be much less!!

Dear Anglu. I remember that before the 1988 election, in Valletta, you were so sure that the MLP will be re-elected that you stated that Malta will wake up one morning and find that there is no PN any more. Now in 2003 you come up with this. Why wasn't this reported before and during this buying of votes. You just cannot accept that this was a PN victory against all odds and this proves what a great party the PN is.

Albert Fenech you seems to know exactly how things work within the MLP.

On more of a serious point;, you are comparing Mata to Zimbabwe and calling Malta a banana republic. If it is so, why don't you back your bags and leave. Let me remind you, Malta always gave its' contribution on the international arena; and for it, Malta is a respected Country. That should make every decent Maltese proud. Through Malta's initiative in the UN,we can boast as a Nation that Malta has left a lasting legacy for all that comes after us and to thank us as a Nation. Yes, I am referring to the Law of the Sea which was championed by Ambassador Pardo whom Mr. Mintoff quicky deposed in 1971,

Andrew BC,an a4 can easily hold 1000 ID card numbers.I appreciate your defensive but please try to make it a bit plausible.
Personally before joining my camp I prefer to wait a bit but if the allegations are proved then I will lead a campaign for radical measures.

Funny, Funny, Funny. All the labourites that have crucified JPO prior to the police have finished their investigation are now calling for the police investigation in regards to Anglu farrugia's accusations to let the olice to finish thier investigation and then judge him,

What a pity. What is good for the goose is not good for the gander. Shame, shame, shame.

The same people who insisted that we should not even comment on the JOP case untill the police investigations are complete are now doing the opposite. Thay have already decided that the report by Dr Farrugia is baseless.

I suppose they do not even dare to contemplate the outcome should it prove to be true.

Everyone judges by his standards.

Ok so votes were bought prior the elections....

The lemons must be VERY sour this season.

How is this for an advertisement? 'Vote for sale. This vote can mean for your party to attain the majority to govern. What offers? Only reasonable offers are accepted. You have all the time to consider your offer.'
Dear editor
Will you please send me a quotation for such an advertisement to be published on your site for at least once a year until 2013?
Thank you.

Carissimo Albert,
Lets make a deal...you are blaming gthe whole Labour party because Anglu is accusing your beloved party with Xiri tal voti....OK deal...

So does it mean that if your Blue crystal clear Anglu JPO is found guilty thta means the whole Nationalist party is guilty include Gonzi? Deal or no deal...

I say it is a Deal ha ha ha ..........

This is serious! Let's the investigations be done and then we all judge Dr. Farrugia or those who alleged bought the votes. Any further comment at this stage would be pathetic. It's not fair that we judge Anglu before the truth will be known. And if he really have the evidence of what he said, I think he did the right thing to report to the police to investigate. What we all pretend, that if a citizen knowing such facts will remain with his mouth shut with the excuse of a 'Bad loser' or similar absurd comments? We'll wait and see! I think thats the best thing at the moment.

Dear John Scerri,
it's only rumours,that a certain individual bought quite a few votes.If it were true,a million euros here and there wouldn't matter much!Just another investment.Everybody knows which side his bread is buttered.This will not change the outcome of the election,but it might show that certain people are not above the law,or maybe they are!!

There are a number of ways/methods which may secure the "purchase" of votes:
(1) There is the default method; you give me your voting document and I give you money and then I destroy your vote;

(2) You take a mobile picture of your voting document after you have voted in the polling booth, show me the picture immediately you leave the polling booth and I pay you the agreed price;

(3) You grant me a favour that is accomplished before the election and I hand over my voting document;

(4) You send me an Income Tax rebate by post - which is what I received days before voting day when this rebate should have been paid in December 2008 - and hope this will "induce" me to vote for you;

(5) On the eve of elections MEPA issues hundreds of permits and go-aheads;

(6) You portray one of your candidates being a "victim" of a smear campaign, induce thousands of sympathy votes and get the candidate elected from two districts and then do your level best to get rid of him AFTER the elections.

I cannot vouchsafe that (1) to (3) were in operation, but certainly (4) was dishonestly rampant and (5) always a distinct possibility whilst (6) was a dead cert.

Free and fair elections? I think that Dr. Mugabe of Zimbabwe has even copied our model. Days before his election he has handed out hundreds of free vehicles to doctors and Government officials have been touring villages informing them that unless they vote "properly" they will have their food supplies cut off.

The affinity between Malta and Zimbabwe - we are both distinct Banana Republics!

Still can’t understand what is being discussed … So labour supporters waiting for ten years to return Alfred Sant back in power were ready to give up their principles, their rights and responsibility for €150, or for a tomb-related letter, or for any other promise whatsoever?

Under what category of commodity would a voting document fall? ...... For VAT purposes I mean....... Could be another charge..... VAT evasion ..... or maybe its vat free?

Before anyone can comment on this case further investigations must be carried out.

However I must point out that this evening on the local media was mentioned the fact that 2 ministers were involved in this case. if this is true would it mean that the PN will have 3 MPs undergoing investigations (including JPO)? If so this is serious, the case alone if true is very serious indeed, more than the Mistra case in my opinion. If proved true this could lead to nullifying the election results considering the very narrow margin with which the elections were won.

Of course we have to wait before jumping to conclusions. However well done to Dr Farrugia for bringing forward such evidence. People who voted MLP deserve investigations. I truly hope that the required investigations be carried out and the MLP should stress this point for the sake of their significant number of supporters. Also this could be a case of moral abuse on some MLP supporters who were being horrified to sell their vote. We will wait and see.

Do we know if its 3 pages printed on both sides? That would make it 6 !!

I can't believe some people actually take this seriously!

Some actually hope fresh elections will be called?

My goodness, isn't it about time you slap your faces a bit and wake up?

Did it occur to you there is a reason MLP are not backing him up?

Guys, a THREE PAGE document backs his claim that hundreds of votes were "bought"??? Get real, why don't you? What did he write the document in, 0.3pt Arial?

I am listing my vote of the 2013 general elections (if I still be here) for sale. Anyone interested can start bidding. By starting the auction now, the final bid may be a very attractive one and eventually be unrefusable.

What if this is true?!

1st. selling/buying votes is illegal.

2nd. if selling/buyinh can be tied to government - then that is vote riging - and election can be called void.

I heard of thousands getting "favours" before the election , maybe there was money involved too.....

Now THIS is very serious. Its going to be a tough time searching for the actual individuals that sold their vote. The buyer / buyers has / have to be found and he / she / they will have to refund all the monies to the various sellers, obviously returning the voting document. I take it that a mini or whatever election has to be held again and these vote-sellers will this time be forced to vote again, and their votes counted and the result of the elections, computed afresh. Now this might sound complex but TOGETHER EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE and it will ultimately give us the TRUE winner of last March's elections. Coming to think of it; is selling a voting document a crime? Because if it is, the perpetrators wouldn't be allowed to vote anyway and result will stand after all ! ..... Are they serious?.. Nice start for a leadership campaign.......

May I remind John Scerri that Dr. Farrugia was the man behind the investigation against ex police commissioner which led to his arrest and sentenced to 15 years. if there was a person who did his job under both administrations, it was him an no one else.

To the doubting Thomases, those same people that doubted Alfred Sant`s allegations on Mistragate and were so gullible to Jeffrey and the gonzipn propoganda machine, we may have here a signal of the poverty that lies hidden in our society and that which even the Church acknowleges as a stark reality.

I was never offered any money for my vote.But 2 weeks before the election I received a registered letter to ask me if I am still interested to buy a grave at Addollorata cemetery. (My application was made in the year 2000) I believe that the government had done all he can to win.

If the claims by Dr. Farrugia are founded then the election must be declared null and void. The act of purchasing votes is extremely serious as it goes totally against what a democracy stands for - 'Everyone has the right to stand up and be counted.'

SORE LOSER!

Mr. Zerafa, another case where labour is 'throwing mud' ? don't we all remember just a few days before the election. Labour was also accused of mud-slinging, and guess what? just a couple of days after the election, and Labour is proven right. Too late in the day in terms of electoral effect, but now the facts are all there to see. i'm not speaking about this case, since there's no proof made public yet, but my point is... after the JPO case, we all know that FLIMKIEN KOLLOX POSSIBLI

First of all, I wish to know exactly what Anglu Farrugia told the police commissioner. What exactly does he mean? Is it that someone bought a certain number of voting documents so that they would not be used? Is it that someone gave money to a certain number of people so that these would vote for the PN? I f the latter is the case I suppose that the buyer accompanied the sellers at the polling place so that he will make sure that he will not be cheated. Don't you think so out there? It's a mad, mad, mad, mad world we're living in nowadays. I quote 'If this world becomes anymore confused than it is now, do'nt be surprised to see monkeys tossing peanuts to people'.

Dear Mario,
Neither you nor I know Exactly what goes around during an election campaign .
From illegal betting to bribes , to phone calls asking for favours from Govt MPs two days before the election or else 'NO VOTE', Mass employment two months before an election.
If one had to investigate corrupt practices throughout the years who knows what will come out ? I heard a lot of stories which were said to have happened in the 1981, 1987, and other election campaigns.
'Isma bilfors u emmen jekk trid' the saying goes.
The only thing I am asking Dr. Farrugia is a simple question - ANY REGRETS ?? answer YES or NO.
I am not questioning the GOVT majority - It would be more worrying if we had a government with an absolute minority of 48% and an opposition with 52% .
I can understand the urge some MLP supporters have for the time to come when this govt might crumble.
Mind you, nothing can be taken for granted. We know what happened in 1996 - 1998 . This is why the second amendment in the electoral law was created and approved by both parties.

one have to see if these allegations made by dr a farrugia are true or false, and than you all got the right to comment, but please stop being pathetic..we all know the true fact about JPO now...a fact that the nationalist party denied pre election, and after that ,other several cases of corruption came to light.By the way, let's forget what happened in the 80's, don't be laid back , we're living in the year 2008 !!

What a way to begin the race to be the new party leader ? What's next on the menu now, Will he say that even Osama Bin Laden voted for the PN !!

So let's see if we're understanding : According to Dr. Farrugia's statement, he's saying that for some of the MLP supporters, their party in govt is not worthed more than 70 EUROS. He must have great consideration for his party's supporters.

And how many votes were bought in this PATHETIC story ? Let's say 1566 (the difference between the 2 parties) at 785 EUROS each (the average between 70 and 1500), total : nearly 1 million 230 thousand Euros. And they were paid in CASH, CREDIT CARD OR PAYPAL ??

Continue to live in DREAMLAND, at least there you won't be defeated !!! But pls don't make fool of the maltese people AND RESPECT THEIR VERDICT GIVEN IN THE ELECTION and for once don't be a BAD LOSER !!!

People obsessed with the PN party staying in government for eternity should keep in mind this before they start their whining: Before the election JPO's Mistra case was also called as a 'mud trowing practice' by PN officials. Now we are all becoming to know that it was not made up. So yes Anglu, if you have something we all should know,make it public!

That votes could be bought or sold is a reflection of a well balanced free market which is what we aspire to in this country (I hope!!).

Dr. Farrugia's 'PR move' is unfortunately ill-timed - if his motive was justice he did not need the media to follow him, the report could have been handed to the Police Commissioner confidentially.

So the (investigative) question is: what is his motive and what does it mean for the future (?) labour leader and the labour party?

is it another case where labour are throwing mud!! or another case where ""flimkien kollox possibli with gonzi pn!!!!

Yes Mr.Shaun Camilleri everybody should look at a mirror!!..........but it seems your Party doesn't have one ...........in 1998 you blamed Dom Mintoff....in 2003 you blamed the E.U. and now ( worst of all ) you are blaming everyone.....the independent media ( Times , Independent, PBS), you are blaming Peppi and lou, the extra hour on election day, you are blaming the hunters now you're also blaming crackheads and bums..........sorry Mr.S.Camilleri but what are you suggesting? That only the rich and employed can vote?..........Yes Mr.Camilleri I am Nationalist..... how die hard I am or will be I will choose,,,,,,,but when I see a party too proud to admit defeat, too proud to to say that they have been mistaken over and over again, a Party which sent people like Mr.Camilleri out celebrating on Sunday 9th march only to tell them to go back home in shame and embarassment..............how can i not confirm my Nationalist convictions??.......... With regards to NIKITA who is saying that ppl sold their vote because of the dire straits the families are in my only reaction is------if I was instead of these families I would have voted labour so immediately AFTER Sant removes my surcharge by half and I would have saved a-lot of money!!.............but guess what dear Nikita.......the ppl did not believe you.......and if this turns out to be true ( yeah right!!) than these ppl ( Labourites ) preferred SELLING their votes to believing in the BIDU GDID..........What's next??.............it's the fault of that stupid ballerina on the MLP towers??..........guess someone has much too much to learn.....

I cannot understand how intollerable the PN supporters have become. Are you that good that you think that Malta is perfect. The same was said of Dr. Sant on the JPO case, and now the truth is that JPO even ridiculed Dr. Gonzi by apparently telling half the truth. If the PN supporters are sure that they have won the election without breaking any laws, then they should not worry about the allegations of Dr Farrugia. But I would like to know what they would comment should these allegations be true.....

Dear John Scerri,

Ok, but what about if this is true?? We will have a Government whose few votes of relative majority was obtained by fraudulent practice.....what's next

Can't Dr Farrugia say..... "We lost again, and again and again" and look for the reason within??????

Anglu Farrugia was in the police corps during the 80's. under Labour GOVT. Has he got any REGRETS about how many serious violent incidents were tackled during those horrific years ? May they never ever return !! If his answer is NO, than I'm sorry..... he is NOT at all competent to become a New MLP leader. Punto e Basta !!

And the next thing he will say is that the PN bought exactly 1581 votes. Well DREAM ON Dr. Farrugia. Were there any extra PN votes in the ballot boxes too...

well done anglu.lets start the wheels rolling.

What if the allegations are true??? We already know who was saying the truth on Mistra! Guess PN won't stay long in government this time.

No Albert, it wasn't the 'laburisti' it was many of the crackheads and bums that we see strolling around. The real "Laburisti' wouln't have sold their vote for €500, let alone a miserly €70! You are a diehard nationalist, and I respect your opinion, and I have my own! But for the sake of Democracy don't try to make fun of people, because everyone has a Mirror to Look in!

OK - let's play Judges ...

What if Dr. Farrugia's claims are wrong? What should we do to him?

But what if his claims are found to be true? What should happen then?

Anglu should be mbarrassed, but then I think he is beyond that. The police should investigate whether the 'allegations' are true. If not, what will Anglu Farrugia's position be? Unaccountable and unpunished? Why because he is an MP? What a sore loser!

Well it seems that in the case of Mistra the misty blues don't want to say anything until the police report is announced but in Anglu's case they have the audacity of commenting, denouncing and even deciding that Anglu is exagerating and maybe even lying . I say let the police do their report on this one too and then one has the right to say his bit ...............how about it blue angels?

Speaks volumes on the psyche of certain people in the MLP...

You get elected in parliament not by buying votes but by generating genuine opportunities for the people to make money from

This is for example, an offence to the intelligence of thousands of people who work in the ICT sector. A sector in which the MLP has absolutely no vision at all

Well that's why all these injustices.Keep it up Labour MPs.

The sad fact is that Malta was never in such a sorrowful polarised state as it is now. What one half believe the other half rejects,no questions asked. The gonzipn supporters insist that JPO is innocent until the court finds him guilty and prefer to wait for that verdict. Now we have a serious accusation by a Labour exponent and the other half are already up in arms to ridicule Anglu Farrugia and Labour. What is really the problem with Gonzipn supporters? Why do they find it so difficult to practice what they preach and wait for the result of the police investigation? Personally I prefer not to make any comment on the allegations even though I stand with the other half, and patiently wait for the outcome. With regards to the accuser, I sincerely hope that with his police background and his legal credentials he managed to put together a plausible case,anything short of that and the issue turns flat,Dr.Farrugia and Labour will look like fools and mar the credibility which Labour acquired after the 'JPO Mistragate affair.

I hope there will be an intensive investigation re those allegations and if there's nothing, an action should be taken against the Labour MP for his allegations. But if its true, its a shame....

u jahaaaaaaaaasssra

Shame on you, So you are accuising the Laburisti of ' Judas to the MLP, for 70 eur ! and after this you predent to, go for the MLP Leadership run. well this is a cutting edge now ! what a bidu GDID !

Did he turn up on an elephant? Just asking...

Same as AS. Giving press conferences before going to the police! His duty as an ex policeman and as a lawyer, he should first handed the report to the police. Making political gain in his own party in running for the leadership. Why is he not giving the backing of the party on this issue of "buying" of votes? some people never change.

Dr. Anglu Farrugia is clearly showing that the Malta Labour Party simply refuses to acknowledge defeat and will do anything to avert admitting democratic defeat. Dr. Farrugia should simply accept defeat and start working on taking Labour to victory in 5 years time. If Dr. Farrugia is not capable of accepting defeat, unlike other exponents within the Labour Party, then he should simply resign and assign himself to the losers table out of political office where he will hold no office from which he can considerably damage a political party with his statements.

very funny indeed !! nice joke dottor "angel" please come again.

On the contrary to what Mr Cunningham said i think that its more to what extent the PN have pushed our families too. Who would sell something that is rightfully theirs for 70 Euros or so if not really tight fisted from our dear government? I obviously do not know whether these allegations are truthful or not but like Mr. Brincat said I am nearly sure A. Farrugia has something tangible. On the other hand as a normal citizen living in this country one has to be blind and deaf not to have heard similar rumours or maybe the giving out of fridges or free plane tickets to the Maltese living abroad!!

Dr Anglu Farrugia still dreams about his days when he was superintendent with the police force. If this will helps him in his bit for the leadership of his party so be it. Iam sure the Nationalists will be the first to approve.

Labour will never learn. What a pity.

Well... Let`s hear THE TRUTH.... THE WHOLE TRUTH... and NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH... right...???

Give the man some credit ... he couldn't blame the loss on the dead ... or those who were abroad .... he just HAD to come up with something!!!

Dr Farrugia seems to have realised that his only hope of salvaging his defunct chances of attaining leadership of the MLP is by attempting to present himself as the party's face saving champion. Whoever is Dr Farrugia's image consultant deserves to be on the dole. On the other hand anyone who has been convinced to forego of their voting rights for a meagre few Euros should have their heads checked as should the person who paid Euros 1500. The likelihood of Dr Farrugia acting in his own capacity goes to show the degree to which the MLP is in a complete shambles. The impression is that the party has been hijacked by a choir of belligerent primadonnas.

I used to keep you on my good books- serious person- a dedicated lawyer-thanks to Prof.Gwido DeMarco- as one correspondent said- Are we living in zimbabwe? Come on be smart and accept the defeat- We are in 2008 and not in the 80's where the Labour Govt,employed 8000 personsON THE EVE OF THE GENERAL ELECTION to conserve and make use of the VOTE. We have a Loyal and dedicated Prime Minister who I am sure will find the time to reply to your accusations.

People are really cheap if they are ready to trade their right to choose their Government for five years for a mere €150. If anyone had offered me to pay all my house loans, which run over €120,000, I would not have considered losing my right and responsibility to choose the best Government for my children and my country.

Seems like Anglu Farrugia wants to be in the news, just before the leadership campaign starts

We will have to wait and see I don't think Dr Farrugia is that stupid, that he doesn't have proof. I know him well , he was a very good investigator, so let the investigation finish and will see.

I don't know why many of you are taking it against Dr.Farrugia.

I don't think he is crazy enough to produce a report without facts.

If the report proves nothing, then call him pathetic as much as you want, but what if he is claiming is true ?

Get. A. Life.

ex police superintendent Anglu Farrugia - even the MLP leadership has disowned you.

Another one who calls a press conference after filing a police report. Is there no end to the modesty of the pretenders to the throne?

Let's be fair, what have most P.N. supporters said about JPO before the elections after Sant's statements regarding him.

I do believe that Dr. Farrugia is basing all his chances to be elected as MLP leader on this move ... however, whatever happens, I do believe that the election result chapter is now closed.

Pathetic

What a BAD LOSER, what does he think can be achieved? Is he going to try and ride on this in order to launch his candidature for the Labour Party leadership battle? Is this going to be his way of appealing to the party delegates so that he can be elected?? As a PN supporter I sincerely hope that he becomes MLP leader, as with people like him the MLP will never be electable. As a middle aged man I still remember vividly the works of the then Police force, when Dr Farrugia was a leading officer. Look who`s talking about corrupt practices, in Maltese we have a saying that amply describes such situations, but unfortunately it cannot be reproduced here.

Does Dr Farrugia really think that we are still living in the 80"s era when he was still with the police force.This is just a case of sour grapes.I cannot imagine him leader of the opposition.

Where does he think the election took place Zimbabwe??

Yeah right!! I wonder why he wasn't accompanied by other Labour party officials.........

LOSER!!!!

If these allegations are true, this would definitely be a case of 'flimkien kollox possibli' :-)

YOU SEE IT 'S NOT LABOUR'S FAULT THAT THE MLP LOST...............The "laburisti" must have wanted change so Badly that they preferred getting LM50 or LESS than see A.Farriuga as a Minister!!!!!!!!..........you see dear Farriuga it's from ppl like you that the MLP needs a BREAK!!! other than that I do hope that the "laburisti" enjoyed those Lm30 or so and spent them on a meal somewhere in Sliema or the Waterfront!!! How more obsolete does the MLP want to become????

Well, I don't know the details but I guess that since Dr. Farrugia is a lawyer and an ex Police Inspector (if I'm not mistaken) then I do believe that he has something tangible to grab to ...

If these are true what are the legal implications?

A new beginning, my foot!!

BAD LOSER