It began with what should have been the biggest story of the year, but amid judicial drama, a double-murder and a popular TV no-show, the past few days provided the biggest news week in years. Christian Peregin chronicles the week that was.
Monday, December 10:
Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi calls the election for March 9 after Nationalist MP Franco Debono votes with the Opposition against the Budget, bringing down the Government. Dr Gonzi describes Dr Debono as “irrelevant”.
Tuesday, December 11:
President George Abela agrees to dissolve Parliament on January 7 after an uneasy day of consultation meetings.
Silvio Zammit, the man at the centre of allegations leading to John Dalli’s resignation as Malta’s EU Commissioner, is charged with bribery and remanded in custody.
Ombudsman Joseph Said Pullicino, a former Chief Justice, calls authorities to relieve Mr Justice Lino Farrugia Sacco of his judicial duties due to the Olympic ticketing controversy in which he is embroiled.
Wednesday, December 12:
Two men are shot dead within the space of a few hours. Both were facing criminal proceedings on suspicion of murder.
Police prosecutors present key details in court from their investigation into Mr Zammit, alleging Mr Dalli was “prepared to take risks” on tobacco legislation as he did with lifting a ban on GMOs. Late at night, news breaks of Mr Justice Ray Pace being questioned by police in relation to a drugs-related investigation.
Thursday, December 13:
Dr Gonzi expresses shock over Mr Justice Pace’s arrest and assures that justice will run its course. Labour leader Joseph Muscat says the judge’s position is untenable.
Mr Justice Pace pleads not guilty to charges of accepting a bribe and trading in influence but is denied bail. Two other men are charged with bribing the judge to change the sentence of a convicted drug trafficker.
From an EU summit in Brussels, Dr Gonzi says judges Pace and Farrugia Sacco should both resign or he will move to impeach them. In a tweet, Dr Muscat says Labour would support impeachment in the case of Mr Justice Pace.
1.89 million
– the number of pageviews registered on timesofmalta.com during the past week
Police arrest a man over the Mosta murder.
Friday, December 14:
A second man is arrested over the Mosta murder.
The Commission for the Administration of Justice raps the Ombudsman for comments he made on Tuesday about the judiciary, saying he went beyond his remit.
A Xarabank debate between party deputy leaders Simon Busuttil and Anġlu Farrugia is cancelled at the last minute when Franco Debono gatecrashes the show after agreeing with Labour to appear instead of Dr Farrugia.
Saturday, December 15:
Labour agrees to take part in a Xarabank special edition between Dr Busuttil and Dr Farrugia.
Dr Gonzi presents impeachment motions against judges Pace and Farrugia Sacco.
Mr Justice Pace resigns.
The Times of Malta
Malta’s main news organisation was once again at the forefront in providing the news and dissecting it.
Wednesday’s fatal shootings attracted the largest number of readers on timesofmalta.com, with a total of 121,500 page views. The other most read stories were those about the Xarabank debate and the arraignment of Mr Justice Ray Pace.
Franco Debono’s Xarabank gatecrash sparked the most controversy, attracting more than 1,200 comments online and becoming the third most talked about story of all time on timesofmalta.com. The Budget vote was the second-most commented story of the week.
In all, more than 1.89 million pageviews were registered on timesofmalta.com during the past week.