House of Cards: Episode 1 – PN Special

Fifteen months from the date that allegations were made by Daphne Caruana Galizia insinuating that Egrant belonged to the Prime Minister or his wife – the same allegations for which Simon Busuttil used to call for the Prime Minister’s resignation, Magistr

The inquiry was thorough, independent and categorical in its conclusions about the Prime Minister and his wife. There was not even one single shred of evidence that the Prime Minister, or a member of his family, held accounts in Pilatus Bank, was the ultimate beneficiary owner of Egrant or received any money from Azeri politicians.

Then, when all the supposedly ‘independent’ and PN media followed the Prime Minister, his wife and his children asking them to step down in the country’s best interest, he remained calm – as those who are telling the truth would. He had said that he would resign if the inquiry found even the slightest of hints that showed that he had anything to do with Egrant, but expected those who made this allegation theirs and built their propaganda around it to do the same.

When this gauntlet was thrown in Simon Busuttil’s direction, he immediately shied away. With his sweaty hands up next to his face and knowing he would eventually be exposed for the liar that he is, Simon Busuttil tried to avoid the subject and refused to accept the Prime Minister’s challenge, as he does today.

Yet the Prime Minister rose above the lies and deceit. He refused to let the country and its economy be held hostage by slanderers and those who were foolish enough to listen to them. Echoing what Martin Luther King had said, Joseph Muscat knew that every step towards justice requires sacrifice, suffering and struggle – all of these he did away from the limelight and public attention. Now the truth is out. Ferris has turned on Efimova. Efimova, the star witness in this case, has turned on Jonathan Ferris, the prosecutor who has defected from FIAU. Pierre Portelli, now one of the PN’s communications stalwarts, but who was then the ‘independent’ journalist who passed the falsified documents to the inquiring magistrate, is trying to wash his hands of the mess.

As for the PN, this is now a most split the Labour Party is now a far cry from and a sorry shadow of its former glorious self. Gone are the days when it had strong forward looking principled leaders who could keep it together. It is now a party internally dominated by rifts, which may be too big to repair.

The only constant in all this is Simon Busuttil’s cowardice and shamelessness. He continues to bury his head in sand, even after he has been exposed for everything that he is: a politician without any substance, credibility or principle.

One could almost hear the collective sigh of relief when the truth came out, ridding us of him and the dangers his hunger for power represents.