Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1201983
5 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 19 JANUARY 2020 OPINION BY pressing all the right buttons, Prime Minister Robert Abela has passed his first test with distinc- tion. Not only has the underdog made it to the top, to the chagrin of many, but he has startled on- lookers with his first moves. Chris Fearne would have nev- er gone this far. The resignation of the police commissioner, the decision not to clear the Caruana Galizia memorial in Valletta after the traditional vigil, and the brave decision to install new faces at the justice ministry and home affairs are all brownie points. And there was also purpose in the choice of locations when announcing decisive action. When Abela let everyone know that he had countered a deci- sion to clean up the Great Siege Monument, which has been turned into a shrine, he did this at the old people's home for the clergy – a shrine no Labour prime minister had stepped in- to. Abela and family are re- nowned for being of Catholic stock, and this will show in the months ahead. He has lit- tle of the lofty liberal ideas you would expect from a 42-year- old Labour leader. This is Abela vintage, a pro- fessional class seemingly con- cerned with the working class... but not at the expense of tradi- tion (and probably business...). There was little to fault in his first moves. As usual, the Caru- ana Galizia family demanded more, as did the NGO Repub- blika. On this Abela is right in keeping his calm and letting everyone think what is next. And it is true, Malta's reputa- tion has moved a notch up. We all expect a new police commissioner to take a more active role in investigating Keith Schembri. But the arrest of any individual cannot take place simply because someone calls for someone to be arrest- ed. What we need is a serious in- vestigation – which brings me to the contents of the letter which was passed on to Yorgen Fenech, allegedly at the behest of Keith Schembri. Before looking at what was said, it is important to recall that the police admitted that they had not investigated the letter, the caligraphy, the like- lihood of finding traces of fin- gerprints or DNA, on the let- ter, whether it originated from a printer used by Schembri, the source and other aspects that would have confirmed the ori- gin and originator of the letter; though it has to be said that both the doctor (the messen- ger), and Yorgen Fenech have said that it was Schembri. It is important to remember that the fantastical story in this letter was aimed at directing Yorgen Fenech to follow a sto- ry that would have lobbed all the blame on Chris Cardona, then economy minister. The letter also refers to two individuals who were close to Chris Cardona, the usual syc- ophants that politicians them- selves always choose to be surrounded with. And interest- ingly the name of Ferdinand's bar in Siggiewi is mentioned. Now, what no one knows is that Keith Schembri's lawyer happens to be Edward Gatt, who at some point was a very close friend and one-time law firm partner to Chris Cardo- na until they fell out. Why this happened is unclear. Cardona and Gatt were rather close and they would mix socially and be together in social events. Somehow it revolved around the German brothel allegations made by Daphne Caruana Gal- izia. Edward Gatt's former girl- friend actually ran Ferdinand's bar, and Chris and Edward would go there. It was con- sidered to be a sort of hideout for lawyers, judges, politicians, ministers, leaders of Opposi- tion (notice emphasis on the plural) and colourful figures such as the two characters mentioned in the letter, one of whom was even a client of Ed- ward Gatt himself. And may I add... criminals such as the De- giorgios. Now the police were very fast in interviewing Cardona and the two other characters mentioned in the letters. They found that the story was based on suppositions and lies. And they were thanked by the police and informed that they could leave. However, the police, in their excitement, conveniently or absent-mindedly forgot to look at the note from a forensic point of view. And still, a storyline about Cardona on other matters was fomented – and I have said this – by Keith Schembri before this incident. Others believed that he was at the centre of the murder of Caruana Galizia and this was taken up by Caruana Galizia family, Repubblika and Occupy Justice, the media and the first magistrate to investi- gate the murder. This suited the perpretrators fine. What I am getting at is very simple. The new police commission- er, who will definitely not be Carmel Magri, will be tasked with the job of widening the investigation. It will definite- ly take him to Keith Schembri and beyond. As things stand, nothing can surface from those other magisterial inquiries on Keith Schembri and Konrad Mizzi when any leads on bank- ing facilites or accounts in the Middle East namely Dubai will go unanswered by the authori- ties there. Suffice it to say that the only way the Daphne Pro- ject acquired Yorgen Fenech's name was by paying a large sum to get someone to leak in- formation. Our judicial inquiries do not have the legal possibility of reaching out to sources by pay- ing money to people who will break the law to source that in- formation. Robert Abela promised con- tinuity, but in reality he has shown that he wants to de- tach himself from the Muscat hegemony and I would not be too surprised if he takes more decisions that may lead to not only revealing Muscat's politi- cal weaknesses, but his real role with Keith Schembri. That is, of course, the million dollar question. Did he or did he not know what was happen- ing? As I write today in a news story, most ministers cannot believe he did not know. And most of them believe that he should have resigned at once. When I sit down and write down my notes of what I know and what I thought could never have happened, I know I have the makings of a blockbuster film or a Netflix series. Rather, it has been the night- mare that has engulfed so many people in the last weeks. Robert Abela promised continuity, but in reality he has shown that he wants to detach himself from the Muscat hegemony and I would not be too surprised if he takes more decisions that may lead to not only revealing Muscat's political weaknesses, but his real role with Keith Schembri Saviour Balzan Pressing the right buttons @saviourbalzan