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16 maltatoday EXECUTIVE EDITOR Matthew Vella MANAGING EDITOR Saviour Balzan Letters to the Editor, MaltaToday, Vjal ir-Rihan, San Gwann SGN 9016 E-mail: dailynews@mediatoday.com.mt Letters must be concise, no pen names accepted, include full name and address maltatoday | SUNDAY • 15 DECEMBER 2019 16 December, 2009 Franco Debono takes on PM single-handedly A rampant rumour about Louis Galea being 'encouraged' to contest the by-election on the sixth electoral district with the promise to be offered a ministerial post, was indicated to MaltaToday as the motive behind backbench- er Franco Debono's flare-up in parliament last Monday night, that led to Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi's embarrassment, having the Speaker exercise his casting vote. Franco Debono remained mysteriously out of reach all throughout yesterday, leaving Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi without any specific reason as to why he refused to attend the parliamentary vote last Monday night. "I don't know what happened to Franco, but he has not contacted me, nor have I spoken to him. If and when I hear from him, I will let you all know," was all the Prime Minister could tell his parliamentary group yesterday evening that convened at Castille. Meanwhile, close aides to the Prime Minister were report- ed to be desperately trying to trace the ren- egade backbencher who kept his phone off all day and was neither at home or at his office. ... While the meeting in Castille was reported- ly 'poorly attended' none of the MPs present spoke about Franco Debono, while it was only the Prime Minister who raised the issue and spent a "mere" five minutes on the case. ... According to sources, Franco Debono told his fellow MPs that he was feeling "not val- ued" by the Prime Minister and the PN and that Louis Galea's comeback was "the last straw." ... Tensions were high on Monday night as Franco Debono was nowhere to be found inside the parliament building as the House was summoned to take two votes on amend- ments to a motion on the creation of a Select Committee to draft regulations on assisted procreation. They ended in a tie of 32 votes in favour and 32 against. The Speaker of the House Louis Galea exer- cised his casting vote in line with parliamen- tary practice to retain the motion before the House in its original vote. The votes were on amendments moved by both the government and the Opposition, but both were rejected as a result of the Speaker's decisive vote. The government's original motion was later approved after the government achieved a majority, when Nationalist MP Franco Debono actually returned to the Chamber and voted. MaltaToday 10 years ago Quote of the Week Schembri must be investigated for obstruction of justice Editorial MELVIN Theuma's testimony amounts to clear evidence that OPM chief-of-staff Keith Schembri was privy to details about the Daphne Caruana Galizia murder investigation from long before- hand; and may even have tipped off main suspect Yorgen Fenech. Separately, Adrian Vella – GP to both Schem- bri and Fenech – has been arrested for his part in helping the pair communicate through secret notes. This suggests that an attempt was made to obstruct the course of justice; yet while some of the actors involved are now facing charges for this crime, Keith Schembri himself is, so far, not even being considered a suspect in this case. At this stage, it is incomprehensible why Schem- bri has not been arrested and charged with ob- struction of justice. Among the shocking details to emerge in court this week was the fact that Yorgen Fenech knew that police had traced the SMS that detonated the bomb which killed Daphne Caruana Galizia less than a month after the murder; and before the police raid in Marsa where brothers George and Alfred Degiorgio, and Vince Muscat were arrested. Moreover, Theuma said Fenech was constantly informed of developments in the murder investiga- tion, including in the months when investigators had no clue yet that the businessman himself was involved in the crime. The implication is that whoever was informing Fenech, knew of the businessman's involvement long before the police did. But Theuma went a step further: saying that, during a conversation, Fenech had mentioned that Keith Schembri was his informant. "Fenech once named Keith Schembri as the per- son informing him. You can refer to the recordings but I don't quite remember the context," Theuma told the court. This was at a time when Theuma was getting jittery because one of the three men accused of the murder – Vince Muscat – started speaking to the police. The three hitmen only knew Theuma, and were unaware that the murder was ordered by Fenech. In fact it was Fenech who informed Theuma that Vince Muscat was revealing everything. Such was the extent of the sensitive insider in- formation that Fenech was being fed that in April 2018, Fenech informed Theuma that there was a Cabinet meeting taking place which was discussing a presidential pardon for Vince Muscat. Fenech had also informed Theuma that their phones were being tapped by the Security Service and instructed him to use WhatsApp, where phone calls are encrypted. At one point Theuma was visited by a certain Kenneth Camilleri from the Office of the Prime Minister, and Johann Cremona, a business associ- ate of Fenech. Camilleri had come with a promise for bail and €1 million each for the three men in custody for the murder. Theuma told the court he believed that it was Schembri who had sent Camilleri. It transpires that this Camilleri once formed part of the Prime Min- ister's security detail. This shocking testimony by a witness who is obliged to tell all the truth under the terms of a presidential pardon, implies that the Prime Minis- ter's former chief-of-staff was passing on sensitive information received during security briefings to Fenech. It also implies that Schembri may have been aware that Fenech was the mastermind in the mur- der long before the police had suspected the busi- nessman was involved. Added to the fact that Schembri was joined at the hip to Yorgen Fenech on account of his own- ership of offshore companies destined to receive moneys from Fenech's 17 Black – and there- fore deeply involved in the corrupt set-up that would result in Caruana Galizia's murder – this all amounts to compelling evidence of criminal wrongdoing on Schembri's part. The act of passing on security service informa- tion to third parties is, in itself, a clear breach of national security, not to mention abuse of power. Clearly, there is more than enough prime facie evidence to place this former public official under investigation. The fact that no such initiative has been taken strongly suggests that the authorities remain re- luctant to press charges against politically exposed persons – though they show no such reluctance to take action against other people involved in the same crimes. This can only perpetuate the impression – which has been sadly vindicated – of institutional paraly- sis. It is bad enough that neither Keith Schembri nor Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has, to date, shouldered any real political responsibility for their own failures: beyond an overdue resignation (on Schembri's part), and Muscat's promise of an 'im- minent' departure in four weeks' time. But that Schembri would continue to evade even any judicial consequences for his actions is not only intolerable, but also the cause of possible vitia- tion of the ongoing court procedures. It cannot be that evidence continues to be ig- nored, even though it comes out in open court, as part of a testimony for which a Presidential pardon has been granted. Given the lack of any real re- percussions to Theuma's testimony, one can only wonder why the pardon was even issued at all. Above all, however, justice cannot be done (still less be seen to be done) when the institutions in- volved refuse to take the necessary action. In this case, the action to be taken is clear and unequivo- cal. "Malta is wounded… it needs the right surgical intervention. If something needs to be removed, we should operate." Deputy PM and leadership contender Chris Fearne applies a medical metaphor to his bid to become PM