Scene 1. Set somewhere in the corridors of Castille:
Jason Micallef: “Have you heard anything about this Greco report? Do you think I’m mentioned? I love it when I’m in the news!”
Owen Bonnici: “Greco? Who’s this now? And what’s with reports these days, I can barely keep up…”
Jason Micallef: “He’s probably some Greek chap. Do you think he knows the Greek singer of the Eurovision? I could get him here you know, for the Culture Agency.”
Owen Bonnici [absentmindedly combing his beard with his hands]: “Did the Prime Minister appoint Greco? Because only those appointed by the Prime Minister write valid reports…”
Enter Keith Kasco, the Prime Minister’s chief of staff
Keith Kasco: “Ah, there you are Owen. Still can’t get used to you with that stubble. Go and tell the media that the Greco report praises the government. If they don’t buy it, blame the old PN, and if they ask again, tell them that they need to go home and read it properly.”
Owen Bonnici [simpering]: “Of course, of course, I was just telling Jason here that it must be the work of another traitor…”
Jason Micallef: Shall I tell the media myself? Please, please, please! I need to speak to them anyway about this year’s extraordinary and original infiorata – there are going to be so many colourful flowers!
I could tell my staff at Super One to interview me, and with no conflict of interest I’ll say that Greco is a traitor [cue flashes white teeth in manner of toothpaste advert smile].
Owen Bonnici [nodding sagely]: What do you think Keith?
Enter the Prime Minister’s wife wearing a rather extraordinary and original hat.
Prime Minister’s wife: Or I could tell the media, Keith, because I studied media. Did you know that Owen?
Owen Bonnici [nodding sagely]: What do you think Keith?
Keith Kasco: You know what? Go out there all of you and say whatever you want – so long as no one talks about the actual contents of the Greco report.
Exit all
After the end of the World War II, European countries were determined to ensure that such a tragedy would never happen again, so in 1949 they got together and set up an international organisation. They called it the Council of Europe and its function was to make sure that human rights, democracy and the rule of law were never threatened again. In fact, the first thing they drafted was the European Convention on Human Rights.
The Greco report on Malta was one hell of a damning one. I would hope that the Prime Minister cringed slightly as he read page after page
This Council of Europe is based in Strasbourg and has 47 member countries, including Malta. It is not to be confused with the European Council of the European Union, which has nothing to do with it. The latter is made up of all the leaders of the 28 EU member states, with Donald Tusk as president.
The Council of Europe does not have a president, it only has a secretary general, a certain Thorbjørn Jagland. It is also the seat of the prestigious European Court of Human Rights, where our Judge Giovanni Bonello presided for many years, then followed by Judge Vincent Degaetano.
Essentially the Council of Europe is made up of a number of monitoring bodies, and one of the most important is its anti-corruption body called The Group of States against Corruption – GRECO is its acronym.
GRECO’s task is to monitor member countries to ensure that they are complying with the Council of Europe’s anti-corruption standards.
There’s nothing Greek about Greco, therefore. Except perhaps the fact that it upholds the values of the ancient Greek system of democracy.
Whenever corruption alarms in any country start flashing red, GRECO send their independent representatives on the ground to talk to people and survey the ongoings. Based on their meticulous research they then issue a report on what is going wrong and what can be done to right it.
The Greco report on Malta was one hell of a damning one. I would hope that the Prime Minister cringed slightly as he read page after page, damning his governing with impunity.
In a nutshell, the report lambasts the Prime Minister for not taking any action whatsoever on the Panama Papers scandal involving his two closest friends despite glaring evidence of wrongdoing; for not dismissing senior officials “up to the highest level” suspected of criminal or ethical misbehaviour, and instead keeping them in office; for promoting the public perception that senior officials can do whatever they like; for giving prominent governmental roles to officials embroiled in dubious dealings; for a series of anomalies in the distribution of responsibilities between the Attorney General’s office, the police and the inquiring magistrates; for not taking action on the allegations of misuse of State resources and nepotism/conflicts of interest; and for not publishing the full Egrant report, among others.
It also condemns Malta’s justice system and its inability to deal with tips, information and requests that come to the attention of the police, prosecution or inquiring judge; and the police for refusing to open cases because of no ‘hard’ evidence, even if questionable circumstances were undisputed.
Based on this report, the Council of Europe will keep piling the pressure on the Maltese government to act on all the allegations of corruption coming from right at the very top. For the rest of us, this is yet another bruise which disfigures the island’s soul.
Scene 2. Set somewhere in an office in Castille:
Keith Kasco [on the phone]: All in hand Joseph. By tomorrow Greco will be forgotten. By the way, my €5,000-a-day just came through. Shall we celebrate with an ethical Moet and a ditty to the Perit?
krischetcuti@gmail.com
Twitter: @krischetcuti
This is a Times of Malta print opinion piece