Civil society organisations call for end of culture of impunity

Civil Society Network, Occupy Justice, il-Kenniesa and l-Awturi publicly backed former Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit (FIAU) official Jonathan Ferris’s request to be granted whistleblower status.

Earlier this week, Ferris filed a judicial protest in which he called upon the Prime Minister, the Justice Minister, the Attorney General and Philip Massa (head of the External Whistleblower Unit at the Office of the Prime Minister) to note the “interminable saga” to grant him whistleblower status despite reassurances given to MEPs that he would be given protection, according to the judicial protest.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the four organisations said that it is vital that the Maltese State establishes without delay the whole truth with regards to all alleged abuses, not only in respect of those allegations which would result in an advantage for the government of the day if prosecuted.

“The Maltese deserve that their public institutions really function in the interest of the common good and that they do whatever is necessary to guarantee the Rule of Law in our country,” they said.

Ferris was fired from the FIAU after he started to look into reports by assassinated journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia on allegations that the Panama company Egrant was owned by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat’s wife.

Noting that the Maltese public institutions allowed a culture of impunity to develop in the years preceding the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, the four organisations said “after her murder they have not shown the appropriate determination in making sure that justice is achieved, both by identifying and prosecuting the mastermind behind the journalist’s murder as well as by ensuring that all the allegations made by Daphne Caruana Galizia are thoroughly investigated.”

The Civil Society Network, Occupy Justice, il-Kenniesa and l-Awturi also pointed out that after the 2013 general elections the spouse of a member of the Maltese Government was placed, and to date still serves, as a member of the Board of Governors of the FIAU, and is also directly involved in the investigations related to the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia.

“All this gives rise to an evident conflict of interest which is undoubtedly unacceptable in an evolved democracy, and discourages those who hold important knowledge from offering their collaboration to the Maltese public authorities in the fight against criminality,” they added.