Life is full of surprises, not always welcome! Former prime minister Lawrence Gonzi has admitted being caught by surprise by the revelations that two former Nationalist ministers held undeclared overseas accounts.

Not very long ago, we were shockingly surprised to hear about judges who were being charged with bribery.

And, more recently, another bolt from the blue surprised us all when the oil procurement scandal hit us unexpectedly.

When faced with all these serious and outrageous scandals, how can the man in the street trust the politicians, the courts and other authorities that are there for the service of the people first of all and should therefore be a good example and act correctly?

Meantime, I want to salute all the honest politicians, judges, magistrates and people occupying very responsible posts for the loyal service they render to the people.

If we want to educate the people to live honestly by paying their taxes and service bills; by not building illegal structures; by not tampering with smart meters; by not occupying public land permanently; and many others, then the ministers and politicians, judges and magistrates and people occupying responsible and delicate positions on government boards should themselves give the first example of honesty, accountability, justice and trust.

But first we have to acknowledge that the law and regulations should be adhered to by all the people and entities.

We cannot proceed against the man in the street if he failed to pay a bill but then allow both political parties and other organisations go without paying all their dues, be they service bills, income tax, and so on.