During an online vigil in remembrance of Daphne Caruana Galizia, three years and nine months since her assassination, Repubblika president Robert Aquilina highlighted how both the current and previous Labour administrations “used the institutions as a smokescreen, not for justice, but to ensure that the arm of the law never reaches them”.
He also argued that “our institutions do not have a divine right to our good faith”, referring to entities such as the police force and maintaining that complacency within its ranks was a key reason for Malta’s reputational decline on the international stage.
Despite a change of police commissioner, “the product is still the same”. While praising the police for some prosecutions initiated, Aquilina said it was far from enough. “And let’s be clear, the prosecutions are a result of actions taken by others who called for magisterial inquiries.”
“The police force should apologise for its failures. It must clean up its act. Malta deserves better. We deserve better,” Aquilina said, stressing the public’s right to be informed.
Former Repubblika president Vicki Ann Cremona, another speaker at the event, stated that “too many journalists have died for exposing the truth”, referring to Caruana Galizia, Dutch journalist Peter de Vries, who died yesterday, Jan Kuciak, Martina Kusnirova and Giorgios Karaivas, all journalists who were killed as a direct result of their investigative work.
Her statement echoed the words of fellow Repubblika activist and president-elect Alessandra Dee Crespo, who stated that “these journalists are the heroes of our time; even though they knew they were in trouble, they kept fighting for what’s right”.
Cremona also questioned how former political figures associated with corruption such as disgraced ex-prime minister Joseph Muscat, Konrad Mizzi and Chris Cardona have not been prosecuted.
“What do these people know for them to be protected in a way that suggests everyone is afraid of them? What secrets would they uncover? Will we ever see justice in this country, or will we see a mockery of it?” she asked.
Occupy Justice activist Martina Farrugia spoke of “Malta’s inability to take responsibility for its own actions”, referring to a long list of corruption allegations such as the Electrogas contract and the setting up of Pilatus Bank as moments in which criminal behaviour went unpunished.
The public inquiry into Caruana Galizia’s assassination has now been concluded, according to a statement by the panel of judges on Thursday. The findings are expected to be published in the coming days. The groups appealed for respect towards the family, which has been the subject of regular attacks from government officials, MPs and supporters.
Mr Jesmond Zammit Marmara li hu laburist genwin illum kiteb biex il prim Abela jichad li EX Prim Muscat. Jekk vera il Prim Abela irid juri lid dinja li se jaghmel min kollox biex inaddaf lil Malta mil HMİEG li halla warah ta qablu ghandu l ewwel jaqta il frazi KONTİNWAZJONİ u jara li bil ligi min ghamel ihallas ta ghemilu.
Ghandi mistoqsija ghalik. X’ inhu ezatt “laburist genwin”? Please define.
There will never be justice in this country. We change the laws, yes but that is all, investment and planning is inexistent in the justice reform. What was the use of dividing the AG and then give the prosecutor’s office to a lawyer who has never had 1 criminal sitting on front of a magistrate? Why are so many lawyers leaving the AGs office? Will there ever be justice if the AG only has newly graduated lawyers to prosecute complex cases against seasoned defence lawyers? Are the courts even big enough to accommodate the judiciary? Are the judiciary staffed well enough? It is the operational aspect of the justice system that needs to be updated not the laws. If we do not take care of our justice system properly and holistically we will never get off the grey list. It is this kind of investigation that journalists should start investigating and NGOs should pressure on these points to be tackled if we want justice. There can never be justice if there is no one capable of dispensing it.
To the question, will we see justice or a mockery of it? the answer is simple and I’m surprised Cremona felt the need to ask it in the first place. Ask the families of Raymond Caruana whether they saw any sign of justice. Since his murder there have been 25 years of PN government and 1+8 years of PL government …. and nothing was done short of placing a few wreaths on his grave, primarily for political purposes and nothing else. There comes a time when one cannot justifiably be expected to continue fighting to save one’s country especially when one finds that one is among only a few standing to be counted.. One has a life to live as well. At least we can thank the PN for EU membership and the comfort afforded by the possibility of leaving and living in a normal country.