April 20, 2017, 7.59pm. The day Daphne’s pen conquered fear. For some, reading Daphne Caruana Galizia’s allegations about the declarations of trust stored in a local bank’s kitchen safe meant nothing. Some dismissed it as sensationalist reporting, not backed up by proof. The Russian whistle-blower’s witness account did little to sway popular opinion that since there was no evidence of the revelations being brought to light by Daphne, it could not possibly be true.
It was argued that this must have been an intentional ploy to harm Joseph Muscat and his chances of the Labour Party being re-elected. The Nationalist Party used this article as the main lobbying point for their election campaign, in the run-up to the election unexpectedly announced 10 days later. One might add, to no avail.
The election results demonstrated that despite angry crowds calling for the end of corruption in Malta, the majority just could not be bothered. Once the dust settled, talk about the article faded to nothing. The outcome of the magisterial inquiry on the matter is still pending.
The truth of the matter is that whatever the outcome of the magisterial inquiry, the allegations Daphne wrote about should have been sufficient at the time to cause serious concern about the worrying state our institutions were in. Further to Daphne’s article of April 20, the Malta Financial Services Authority released a press release stating the obvious.
The election results demonstrated that despite angry crowds calling for the end of corruption in Malta, the majority just could not be bothered
Some days later, FIAU reports on serious shortcomings were leaked. It was further revealed that these had not been the subject of a police investigation. All the aforementioned institutions did little after that to restore public confidence in the effectiveness of the exercise of their respective functions. Daphne meticulously followed up her article and kept the public informed on all developments, or rather lack of, which came thereafter. Malta was witnessing the collapse of the institutions which were originally intended to protect the public.
The Nationalist Party told us to stand up and be counted. The election that followed implied that the public was expected to be the judge and jury of the recent events. The public gave its blessing to the incumbent government, led by the Labour Party, to hit the resume button. Post-election cries against alleged corruption by highest-ranking government officials and perceived institutional failure were futile. The window of opportunity to stand up and be counted had closed.
Despite the fact that Daphne went to great lengths to expose institutional failure, post-election some members ofthe PN attributed the party’s failure to win to Daphne’s investigative work, even stating that she had been dictating the party’s agenda.
This cast doubt on whether the public had actually believed in what they had stood up to be counted for, or whether this was partisan politics at its best. The mantra of “stand up and be counted” had lost its significance along the way.
Six months after April 20, Daphne’s brutal assassination shook the country to the core. Once again, we are being invited to stand up and be counted. A national demonstration is the first step towards this.
Will the “stand up and be counted” motto actually achieve its desired outcome this time round? Only time will tell. One thing is certain. Daphne was fearless. She did stand up to be counted. Solo.
In her endeavours as an investigative journalist, she ventured where no one else would. Malta will be eternally grateful to Daphne, for her pen exposed that which no other had the appetite or the courage to bring to light.
Erika Bajada is an accountant with a background in financial services regulation.