If people of undisputed integrity share this same opinion, then our country is doomed and condemned for a long period of bad governance it had never witnessed before. That was my first reaction after having read Desmond Zammit Marmarà’s opinion piece (November 4) that Joseph Muscat had shown admirable leadership qualities in the way he handled the Panama Papers affair.
I read this statement a second time and, yes, incredibly true, that was the assessment from this ‘genuine and constructive’ Labour Party activist. This is the same person who earlier this year, in this same paper, wrote that “some politicians are completely amoral and their aim is simply power and more power at any cost” (January 16) and that Labour’s “image has been severely dented by the Panama Papers controversy and other alleged breaches of good governance” (August 17).
I soon remembered, however, that Zammit Marmarà’s incredible statement does not actually tally with what front-line Labour politicians said.
We had ex-Labour leader Alfred Sant insisting that Konrad Mizzi should do the honourable thing and resign.
Education Minister Evarist Bartolo echoed Sant’s advice and kept repeating (even until a few days ago) that Mizzi should leave the Cabinet.
Labour Whip Godfrey Farrugia openly stated that if he were in Mizzi’s position he would have resigned.
Former Labour MP Marlene Farrugia moved two separate parliamentary motions calling for the resignation of Mizzi and a vote of censure on the Prime Minister for keeping his chief of staff Keith Schembri.
Leo Brincat, when grilled by members of the European Parliament, declared that if he were in Mizzi’s shoes he would have resigned or suspended himself.
Reports in various local newspapers quoted reliable sources that during a Cabinet meeting both Deputy Prime Minister Louis Grech and senior Minister George Vella insisted for Mizzi’s resignation.
And what was Muscat’s response to all this? After weeks of hiding and escaping local journalists, finally he came out with his verdict to keep both Mizzi and Schembri, safely sheltered and shielded beside him, while insisting that there was nothing illegal.
On April 28, 2016, after a ‘farcical’ Cabinet reshuffle, Muscat said that “audits into Mizzi’s Panama affairs had not yet been concluded but initial indications suggest that no money was involved and this gives me the confidence to make a decision”. And yet, after all these months, nothing has transpired from these audits.
A survey for The Malta Independent, as early as April 17, 2016, found that an absolute majority of 51.5 per cent believe the government is corrupt and 54.2 per cent wanted Mizzi to resign.
Muscat continues to plod on with this heavy burden as if his whole political existence is dependent on Mizzi’s and Schembri’s own political survival
Similar findings were reported a week later in a Malta Today survey with a majority of respondents wanting Mizzi and Schembri to resign.
Muscat continued to ignore what people were openly saying and expecting. Another Malta Today survey in the last week of May 2016, showed that concern on corruption had reached an all-time high. And another Malta Today survey last month showed that corruption concerns are increasing.
This time no one could have said that the Maltese were not informed extensively about the Panama scandal. A wide international survey conducted by IPSOS placed Malta in the first place in the whole world for having the greatest level of awareness (78 per cent) on the Panama Papers.
In the face of all this, Muscat continues to plod on with this heavy burden upon him as if his whole political existence is dependent on Mizzi’s and Schembri’s own political survival.
He ignored calls for a thorough investigation, free from political interference. The Pakistani government, confronted by a similar situation, for example, a few weeks after the leaking of Panama Papers went to Parliament and chose a 12-member committee (six government MPs and six from the Opposition) with an extra independent chairman, so as to enquire into connections between Prime Minister’s friends and the Panama Papers.
Adding insult to injury, Muscat had the gall to say that Mizzi will become a political liability for the Opposition once the allegations are proven wrong.
It may have been sheer coincidence that only a few days before Zammit Marmara’s incredible statement, Joe Camilleri, the long-serving personal secretary of Dom Mintoff made extremely strong statements.
Muscat’s movement, he said, morphed into a group of opportunists. He also said that “the government has lost its conscience… it is more concentrated on Panama accounts than on the Constitution”.
And on the same day of Zammit Marmarà’s article, former Labour candidate Mark Sammut published a book denouncing Maltese politicians involved in this biggest scandal ever of its kind.
Zammit Marmarà’s incredible statement should be also confronted with what Transparency International – the world’s foremost global civic society organisation leading the fight against corruption – had to say about Muscat’s behaviour throughout all this ordeal. Transparency’s first-ever rebuke of our country ran thus: “Malta needs to clean up its corruption mess before it heads the Council of the European Union next year.”
The way Zammit Marmarà describes Muscat’s behaviour leads you to think this whole saga is already a ‘has been’ as if it won’t ever haunt this government anymore.
I leave him with one conclusive thought: if ever the real Egrant’s owner identity is made public, that would be the scandal that would end all scandals.
Jean Pierre Debono is PN assistant secretary general.