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2 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 • 30 AUGUST 2020 Justice for Daphne is justice for Malta Editorial AFTER the latest revelations from the ongoing compilation of evidence against Yorgen Fenech, it can no longer be said that 'demanding justice for Daphne Caruana Galizia' implies any form of 'buy- in' into our national culture of political partisanship. For too long now, it has been argued that those calling for justice are somehow motivated by the Nationalists' typical anti-Labour hysteria: or, conversely, by the late journalist's prejudicial, and often unjust, treatment of all those who fell into her sights. But given the sheer weight of the allegations that have now been made public, all such consid- erations should be dismissed out of hand. 'Justice for Daphne Caruana Galizia' is not the sole pre- rogative of the Nationalist or Labour Party, or even of the growing civil society movement that has arisen in the wake of the murder itself. On the contrary: justice for Daphne is justice for Malta. Not merely because the entire country needs nothing less than full closure, to heal the wounds left by this brutal crime; but also because the factors that made this murder possible in the first place – and which can be seen to have hin- dered, or at least tried to hinder, the subsequent judicial process – are also institutional shortcom- ings that affect the entire justice system: and not this particular case only. This was already evidenced by a number of previous allegations: including that the former OPM chief of staff Keith Schembri had, at mini- mum, attempted to obstruct the course of justice; or that former Police Commissioner Lawrence had alerted middleman Melvin Theuma of his impending arrest – and even more so by the fact that these allegations, among others, were not even investigated by the police until recently: i.e., after a change to the helm of the Police Force. But with the explosive testimony this week, we now also know that Fenech had alleged with the police – in November 2019 – that the plan to murder Daphne Caruana Galizia had been hatched by, or with, none other than Keith Schembri himself; that he allegedly paid €80,000 for its execution; and that Joseph Muscat himself could be one of only three people – outside Keith Schembri, Yorgen Fenech and the others already implicated – who was allegedly aware of these details: even if only after the murder was com- mitted. While these claims still remain to be proven – and the presumption of innocence applies here, as it applies in all other cases – it is nonetheless a fact that the police had been alerted to them more than seven months ago. Yet it was only last week that Joseph Muscat was called in for questioning in connection with his presumed WhatsApp chat with Fenech; and there has been no indication of any investigation opened specifically into Keith Schembri's possi- ble involvement. From this point on, there is no further room for partisanship in our collective approach to the is- sue. The disgraced former prime minister Joseph Muscat's name has been irremediably sullied, even before the latest revelations. For two whole years after the murder of Caru- ana Galizia, he kept by his side a chief of staff whose offshore machinations were intimately tied to the affairs of Yorgen Fenech; all through- out, Muscat was privy to Fenech's name being investigated by the Malta Security Services and the police force, with Schembri present for these sensitive briefings. Elements inside Castille, such as his own MSS security detail – a contact with middleman Melvin Theuma; and the police force's top brass – allowed themselves to be instrumentalised by the powers that be to obfuscate the rule of law. Muscat and Schembri exacted loyalty from staff, who befriended Yorgen Fenech well before the political crisis in December, but also prom- ulgated the PM's innocence on the mysterious Egrant company that troubled Labour in 2017. On top of all this, Muscat and Fenech sought to have the former prime minister installed at the helm of the European Council during 2019. Clearly, then, it is not just the individual sus- pects themselves that are on trial in this case; but also the country's governmental and juridical institutions. And it will have to be a concerted police effort – with the muscle of European and other coun- terparts, and the political pressure of EU partners – to bring about not just a resolute prosecution of the criminal parties named in the Caruana Galizia investigation; but to drive a criminal in- vestigation through all the preceding murders and assassinations that are linked to the same protagonists. It is this twitch on a thread, that runs deep into the Maltese underworld and its links to Malta's political class, that must deliver Malta from the crisis it finds itself in. This is also why 'justice for Daphne is justice for Malta': a simple affirmation that need not un- ravel the progressive achievements of the decade, but instead demand a judicious prosecution of all who have been named in connection with the journalist's assassination. 30 August, 2010 BWSC contractor engages former Enemalta CEO FORMER Enemalta CEO David Spiteri Gin- gell has admitted he was contracted by Vas- sallo Builders for consultancy after leaving Enemalta. Vassallo Builders Group, the local contractors for Danish firm BWSC – who won the controversial €200 million contract for Delimara power extension – contracted the former Enemalta chief executive who was om the adjudication committee on the contract. David Spiteri Gingell confirmed with this newspaper that after he stepped down as chief executive of Enemalta, he was approached and contracted to conduct consultancy work for Vassallo Builders Group, soon after he concluded his assignment on the adjudication committee for the Delimara extension. The former CEO's consultancy firm carried various assignments for the company, whose owner is magnate and PN donor Zaren Vas- sallo and whose directors include the former Enemalta chairman Alex Tranter, who ad- mitted to a conflict of interest in the Delimara tender process. The European Commission accused the government of having led an irregular procure- ment process for the 144MW Delimara power station extension. The EC raised serious doubts on changes in emission rules, which it says were carried out to benefit Danish firm BWSC's bid for a diesel-powered engine that had been previously ruled out by emission laws.Spiteri Gingell had previously claimed that the changes to the emission rules had been carried to com- ply with EU law, but the Commission claims the rules were changed to suit diesel technology only and not gas-powered engines. Spiteri Gingell – who is currently drawing up legislation for government in to reforming the Pensions Act – explained that he is chief executive of LoQus Business Consulting, of which he owns 25% of the company shares. LoQus was incorporated in October 2008, but up until April 2009, Spiteri Gingell says the firm was not involved in any private work or in marketing itself within the private sector given his assignment to manage the Delimara tender adjudication. ... Quote of the Week "Fenech said that Schembri had also paid up to €80,000 to Theuma to fund the murder." Inspector Kurt Zahra tells the court what Tumas magnate Yorgen Fenech told the police about Keith Schembri, during his police interrogation upon being arrested for the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia MaltaToday 10 years ago