As the political situation gets murkier and dirtier with more allegations and fresh revelations, like the once-secret company 17 Black, a new non-governmental organisation called Repubblika has been added to the growing list of civic society groups all aiming to put their message across in an environment seemingly indifferent to national issues.

There is, of course, no harm in this but would it not be wiser if NGOs having broadly the same views get together into one big organisation? Or, perhaps, they can be divided into those that are strictly seeking to raise moral values in politics and protect human rights and those working towards the improvement of the environment.

Some of the NGOs may well argue they may have slightly different viewpoints, or nuances, on some subjects to those of others, even though their main objectives may be similar. In that case, the best that can be done is for NGOs to seek closer collaboration in matters of common interest.

As to the new NGO, it is clear that, right at the top of its agenda, is a commitment to fight against the current government onslaught on political standards. With an Opposition that has become far too docile and ineffective to present any serious challenge to the party in power and does not even seem to be all too eager to seriously take the government to task over its most shameful lack of accountability, it is up to civic society and the independent media to step in and insist on the need for good governance.

The way the Prime Minister is scandalously trying to wriggle out of the tangled web over 17 Black and the huge efforts mounted to deflect most serious allegations of money laundering involving key people is simply unacceptable.

The Prime Minister has now said that the criminal investigation into 17 Black is actually being carried out into the Dubai company itself and did not involve his chief of staff, Keith Schembri. How can the police exclude from their investigation Mr Schembri when, according to a leaked e-mail, he and Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi were planned to receive $2 million from 17 Black through the companies they had registered in Panama? The only plausible explanation for such an utterly facile statement as that made by the Prime Minister is that he had committed himself to remove his chief of staff if Mr Schembri were to be implicated in a criminal investigation.

And why was the public not officially informed of the criminal investigation opened into 17 Black when this is a matter of national importance? Also, if the Prime Minister, by his own political standard, is prepared to resign if he were to be implicated, why would he not apply the same standard to the Tourism Minister and his chief of staff? This is a mind-boggling and incomprehensive predicament of his own making.

In light of the shenanigans going on, Repubblika has every moral right to argue that in its view the Prime Minister is shielding his underlings and, in doing so, is also obstructing justice. It is demanding resignations but since this is most unlikely to happen, it is up to civic society to stick together and keep raising the voice of reason until truth will out.

This is a Times of Malta print editorial