Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1202670
THE resignation of Gozo minister Justyne Caruana appears to conform to a pattern that Robert Abela had already put into place with his previous choices of public appoint- ments. Caruana submitted her resignation follow- ing news that her husband Silvio Valletta - a former deputy police commissioner, who at one point oversaw the Daphne Caruana Galizia murder investigation – had an inti- mate degree of friendship with the alleged mastermind of that crime, Yorgen Fenech. This was not the first time calls were made for Valletta's removal from the investiga- tion; but the weight of new evidence made the situation untenable for the newly ap- pointed minister. As with other Abela decisions, his accept- ance of Caruana's resignation signals a dif- ferent direction from the preceding admin- istration: suggesting that Abela is conscious of the need to deliver change, despite having promised continuity. Though regrettable from the angle of los- ing one of only three women in senior Cab- inet positions, Caruana's sacrifice is none- theless welcome as a sign that standards of good governance must be upheld at all costs. If Robert Abela intends making this a mark of his administration, he can expect to find cooperation from social partners and stake- holders that goes beyond his immediate La- bour electorate. However, the reasons for Caruana's resig- nation are not mitigated by her departure alone. The revelations surrounding Silvio Valetta also serve as a reminder of the ur- gent need for reforms in governance and the rule of law. Once again we witness the unfortunate lack of awareness among members of the police corps (and likewise other public func- tionaries) that their roles in public life neces- sitate a certain distance from people whose powerful interests - while not evidently at loggerheads with the law - often also imply a certain contempt for rules that curtail their power and influence. On his part, Valletta insists he was not aware that Yorgen Fenech was a suspect at the time. But we know for certain now that Fenech was not unknown to Muscat's inner circle, and that it is arguable that Labour's inner circle was also keen to foster an un- derstanding with top brass so as to minimise the impact of a fully-blown investigation in- to the Panama Papers: and, following from that, the 17 Black revelations which point towards Yorgen Fenech. Now that a police investigation has been launched into Valletta's apparent friendship with Fenech, this is the time for the new Labour leadership to understand wheth- er police investigators were instructed and dissuaded from investigating the Panama Papers on orders of the past Labour admin- istration. If that is indeed the case, it will take more than the resignation of a single minister to rectify the situation. * * * On a separate note, Environment Min- ister Aaron Farrugia is to commended for considering the introduction of a lobbying register, which would create a record of all meetings held between the ministry and special interest groups: including, but not limited to, powerful business lobbies. The importance of this initiative cannot be overstated, in a country where environ- mental concerns are constantly exacerbated by industries such as construction, hunting, aquaculture and many more. From this perspective alone, it is interest- ing that Farrugia's initiative has garnered the support of the tuna ranching lobby this week. But with mounting perception that certain decisions – among others, by the Planning Authority – seem to favour certain lob- by-groups at the expense of the environ- ment, it is indeed surprising that to date, no effort has ever been made to monitor the in- fluence of lobbyists on the decision-making process. It is for this reason that lobbying registers are standards in European parliaments as well as the EU's parliament, especially in matters of health, environment and con- sumer policy. The proposal also has the support of the Chamber of Commerce, which wants a Register of Lobbyists – as well as a meeting log between politicians/senior officials and businessmen made available to the public: whereby government ministers should on- ly meet interest representatives who have signed up to this register. All in all, it is reassuring that 'transparency' – a promise originally made in 2013 – is fi- nally making an appearance in aspects of the government's environmental policy. As with the accountability displayed by Justyne Caruana's resignation, it is a case of better late than never. Never too late for transparency and accountability Mikiel Galea 9 LETTERS & EDITORIAL maltatoday MaltaToday, MediaToday Co. Ltd, Vjal ir-Rihan, San Gwann SGN 9016 MANAGING EDITOR: SAVIOUR BALZAN EXECUTIVE EDITOR: MATTHEW VELLA EDITOR: PAUL COCKS Tel: (356) 21 382741-3, 21 382745-6 Website: www.maltatoday.com.mt E-mail: dailynews@mediatoday.com.mt maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 22 JANUARY 2020