Activist group turns Independence monument into memorial to Malta’s ‘surrender’ to Azerbaijan

The Independence monument in Floriana was turned into a mock tribute to OPM chief of staff Keith Schembri on Wednesday night, as activists from the Rezistenza group added a makeshift plaque and Azeri flag to the bronze statue.

Members of the group covered the Floriana monument’s plaque with one paying tribute to “H.E. El Kasco,” describing him as the “Governor of these islands.”

“In Memory of the Surrender of the Islands of Malta to the Republic of Azerbaijan,” the mock plaque noted. Activists also added an Azeri flag to the statue’s female figure.

“Kasco” is the name of Schembri’s group of companies and is also his nickname.

The protest comes as Schembri faces allegations of having received $430,000 from “unexplained sources” just five weeks after he was part of an unannounced high-level delegation to Azeri capital Baku. Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has, on behalf of Schembri, denied the accusations.

In a statement, the group said that “it was not in the public interest for Joseph Muscat, Keith “El Kasco” Schembri, Konrad Mizzi and Kurt Farrugia to secretly visit Azerbaijan in December 2014. It was not in Malta’s interest for our government to enter into an 18-year obligation to purchase natural gas from an Azerbaijani state owned entity rather than buy at source. Why was Gasol involved at all and how much money did it make on the sale of its Electrogas shares?

“It is evident that the Maltese government’s decisions are not being taken in the national interest.

“Indeed, one wonders who is really governing Malta?

“We inherited an independent and sovereign state with proper, functioning institutions. In Malta of 2018 impunity is the order of the day and obscure forces determine our future. There are too many questions without answers and news reports without investigation from our authorities concerning the receipt and channelling of vast sums of money from Azerbaijan to Malta, Maltese companies and public officials involving Pilatus Bank, 17Black, a telecommunications company and Buttardi to name but a few. Malta deserves much better and we demand answers.”