In the wake of a corruption case that has rocked Gozo, Kurt Sansone reflects upon how things are done on the sister island and whether they are much different from anywhere else.

Gozo Minister Anton Refalo. Photos: Matthew Mirabelli

A magistrate may have unwittingly captured the public psyche when last January she commented on how police in Gozo worked differently from Malta’s.

She made the comment when handing down bail conditions to a man, which included restrictions on travel.

The man was barred from boarding any ship and when asked by the defence lawyer, the magistrate said it also included the Gozo ferry.

Replying to the light banter that ensued among the lawyers present in the court room, the magistrate said the conditions were meant to make it easy for the police to track down the man if he was needed.

“And you know the police work differently in Malta and Gozo,” she said.

Her comment was innocuous but it did capture what in many people’s minds is the notion of Gozo being a republic where a distinct set of rules apply and where what matters most is the friends one has in high places.

This notion seems to have been confirmed two weeks ago when the husband of former Gozo minister Giovanna Debono was charged with the misappropriation of public funds and fraud.

Anthony Debono, who headed the works department in the Gozo Ministry when his wife was in charge, is accused of masterminding a scheme through which works on private property were financed by public funds.

But is the republic of Gozo a myth or reality?

A former Gozitan politician who preferred to remain anonymous told me that everybody in Gozo knew what Mr Debono was up to.

He referred to a story that appeared over a decade ago in Malta Today that queried the ethical implications of having Mr Debono head the construction department when his wife was minister. The news report quoted Ms Debono saying that her husband executed orders given to him. “He is an official of the government, and has nothing to do with government contracts,” she said.

But tellingly the report also quoted Labour MP Justyn Caruana, who was coy about Mr Debono’s position. “Whoever placed him there should see to his accountability and delivery. In any case, it is Giovanna Debono who should see whether there is a problem with her husband in that position. But I don’t think she would find it a problem!”

Fast forward 11 years, and Mr Debono stands in the dock on fraud charges, while today’s Gozo Minister, Anton Refalo, has had his wife transferred from the Gozo Ministry’s customer care department after a public outcry. “Things have not changed,” the former politician said. But he did vent his anger at what he described as the “Maltese virgins” pointing their finger at all Gozitans.

The comment captured the notion of Gozo being a republic where a distinct set of rules apply

He argued that Gozo was a small community naturally inclined to harbour strong ties between friends and family.

“This is a fact for any small community, which any anthropologist will confirm, but no one, not even Maltese politicians, ever bothered to introduce systems of oversight to ensure abuse is curbed.”

He insisted every politician knew how things were being run in Gozo. “What did the virgins in Malta do to stop the abuse?”

Bishop Mario Grech once spoke of the culture of silence during a homily in his diocese. This omertà was sometimes becoming comfortable both for individuals as well as institutions, he had said.

“Our society needs to avoid a situation where people choose to stay silent to avoid having other people talking about them.”

Today, five years after those words were uttered they sound prophetic. But whether they only apply to Gozo is debatable.

The Debono case has fuelled frustration in Gozo at what people like Michael Grech, who heads the Gozo Business Chamber, say is “unfair” labelling.

Mr Grech said nepotism existed everywhere. “Gozo’s smallness may lead to things being open secrets but it is unfair to say nepotism is more prevalent than in Malta.”

It was a view shared by other businessmen who spoke to this newspaper on condition of anonymity.

Mr Grech believes politicians have a duty to be close to the people but acknowledges this increases the risk of people making unjustified or unrealistic demands.

“But this situation applies to politicians everywhere, including Malta.”

He disagreed with the impression that in Gozo nothing got done without the minister’s intervention.

“There are many private entrepreneurs who take initiatives and don’t seek the politicians’ intervention. I believe this is a mistaken idea often peddled by the media that speaks of Gozo as if it is a republic. This is unfair and far from the truth.”

He said in many aspects like health, education and planning the power of decision fell outside the Gozo Ministry’s remit. And while some did seek help if their Mepa application stalled, this was not exclusive to Gozitans, he insisted.

“The red line should always be drawn when somebody asks for the law to be broken or demands are unrealistic.”

Mr Grech’s words could very well apply to politicians everywhere, irrespective of whether the Gozo republic is a myth or not.

kurt.sansone@timesofmalta.com