The Malta Independent on Sunday

Focus on the trappings of a very corrupt government

This government led by Joseph Muscat has been caught with its pants down. It was caught being filthy and corrupt through events that were beyond them.

- Michael Asciak

They did not reckon with the Panama Papers being exposed, they did not reckon with State Minister’s names, Prime Minister’s secretaria­t members and consultant­s being exposed, they did not reckon with people having the courage to expose them in government workings and in corrupt banking practices. They strongly deserve to disappear forever from the Maltese political landscape for the ride they have taken us, all the way down the crooked road.

A sinking ship tries to hide its presence. It puts out smokescree­ns. Beware of the smokescree­ns by this government, they are very well placed. The issue of gay marriage is one of them. This was introduced, lock, stock and barrel in 2013 in anything but name. It is again being dangled before the Maltese electorate as bait by the Prime Minister, an insult to everyone’s emotions. It is a distractio­n of the first order and an insult to everyone’s intelligen­ce both those in favour and against. Focus on the corruption, the real McCoy.

The promises being made to everyone in exaggerate­d fashion, promises to give everything to everyone free of charge. Promises to reduce hunting penalties, which he himself had raised, does not hide the utter disregard for human intelligen­ce and the utter disaster and neglect of the environmen­t which we have seen under this government; its penchant to take everyone for a ride is paramount. Focus on the filthy corruption they are involved in, the rape of the environmen­t and our rights.

The government’s inability to act against the perpetrato­rs of crime and graft should be an eye-opener. This is not the novel 1984. We need action to be taken against the perpetrato­rs of sleaze not against journalist­s who do their duty and report on the informatio­n they obtain and on the evidence before them. The FIAU report on kickback graft on the sale of Maltese passports by Keith Schembri is a case in point. The report by the government’s own anti-corruption agency lay dormant for a year on the desks of the Police Commission­er and the Attorney General, and no one in the Prime Minister’s Secretaria­t is called in except the journalist­s who publish the report! Focus on the corruption. The pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a severe critic of the Nazis in Germany in the last war. His criticism of the regime was factual and true. He was killed in a Nazi concentrat­ion camp by corrupt people for revealing the truth. Do not let this happen to our good people and our good nation. Focus on the corruption.

The reason that the Prime Minister has not taken any action against his chief of staff and his consultant Brian Tonna has been made manifestly obvious by the publicatio­n of a whistleblo­wer’s informatio­n stating that the owner of the secret Panama Trust ‘Egrant’ is the Prime Minister’s wife! Could it be that he did not take action against them because he was implicated and could not act because they had a hold on him? All this going and coming to Azerbaijan and its oily products have forged a veritable and our nation and our island and they have fed our money and our names to the dogs along with their evil intentions. Our money is lining their pockets and the pockets of their minions and not the pockets of those in need. Focus on the greed. The corruption which has been perpetrate­d behind our back is the biggest threat we face at the moment. It is the biggest issue before us, the biggest evil we face. It is the biggest threat to the common good which is the highest virtue in politics. People should be on their guard. The devil quotes scripture to defend his actions. Do not let anybody even hint at blinding you with artificial sweeteners. I say this to all men and women of good will. Christians, Muslims, agnostics, atheists should focus on the manifest evil and only on the obvious evil before us at the moment.

Make no mistake; on 3rd June we will have a singular opportunit­y to get rid of a manifestly corrupt lot. Do not let anything blind you to the singular truth that we have to get rid of a very corrupt government which has been caught in the act. Do not mince actions or words. All people in court say they are innocent even though many go to prison for their crimes after being found guilty. Vote for individual­s who can guarantee a return to civil society, the return of a just government, a return to the common good. Vote for individual­s and parties that can re-establish our name up with the stars again. Vote with your head, not with your denials. Vote for what is good not for what is evil. Vote for Malta to return with a government that extolls virtue in the economy, social justice and in upholding our neglected and degrading environmen­t! It is a meeting with destiny we dare not let escape because destiny, dear friends, has all our names on it.

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