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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 • 20 DECEMBER 2020 Behind the affront Editorial MARK Camilleri, since 2013 the executive chair- person of the National Book Council, certainly has a way with words. His outspokenness on social media is legend- ary, not least for being one of the few, if not only, critics of the same Labour government he has actively supported in 2013 and 2017. He has been active inside the party through the Senglea branch as recently as the last Labour election. But, as one of the 'critical-Left' members of the Maltese political landscape, Camilleri has been unique in that, as a State-paid functionary hand-picked by former education minister Evarist Bartolo to head the National Book Council, he has been keen to criticise his own party-in-government's failings on good governance and the Daphne Caruana Galizia assassination. His candour is especially welcomed by those who desire a more honest dialogue inside the Labour Party structures, one that is not beholden to the leadership cults that exist in both major political parties. Camilleri's critics traditionally include those from the opposite side of the political divide, who discount his politics and today pay him tribute only for the fact that he holds up a mirror to the deficiencies of the Labour Party. His outburst this week on social media near- ly cost him his job after he publicised a private, foul-mouthed exchange with a lawyer from the Yorgen Fenech defence team who took issue with an earlier statement of his on the Caruana Galizia public inquiry. Faced with the lawyer's unsolicited 'advice', Camilleri was entitled to his exchange; his publicisation of the private conversation then led to the lawyer to enter the fray once again, with Camilleri responding kind. With his brown, Marxist behind (which is where Camilleri asked he be orally despatched by the offending party) now at the tail-end of a 2020 re- plete with social media eruptions, it brings to mind countless examples where Labour functionaries in government expressed far worse on social media. Unprovoked attacks on Labour critics came from such people as Mario Philip Azzopardi or Jason Micallef, the head of the Valletta Cultural Agency; their choice of language was equally as unfortu- nate, yet they did not face the prospect of the chop. Camilleri, who has since apologised for his unfor- tunate choice of language, turned out to be made of sterner stuff: when asked by the permanent sec- retary to resign, he refused. The irony continues, for Camilleri had once led successful anti-censorship campaign when, as the editor of a minor university pamphlet, Realtà, in 2010 he was reported to the police by the Uni- versity of Malta administration for publishing a short story by acclaimed author Alex Vella Gera. Charged unsuccessfully on obscenity charges, with then Attorney General Peter Grech appealing the acquittal – again unsuccessfully – Camilleri's anti-censorship struggle was recognised by the Labour government, when he became the recipient of a Republic Day honour in 2013. He slept in and missed the ceremony. Diary malfunctions apart, Camilleri became an instrumental part of the Labour government's an- ti-censorship drive. Together with his campaign activists Ingram Bondin and lawyer Andrew Sci- berras, he contributed in great part to the reform in censorship laws which did away with obscenity as a criminal charge; as well as playing a part in a rewrite of the Media and Defamation Act that had been first pushed by leading newspapers. Camilleri's biggest contribution has been revo- lutionising the National Book Council by forcing bigger public spending on its activities: royalties for Maltese authors from lending rights, a con- vention of writers to push for legal changes, A-list celebrity writers invited to the Malta Book Festival, and one of the biggest ever national promotions of Maltese literature over the course of seven full years. He is backed by a hard-working team, with some past members whose contributions should also be noted. Camilleri may be known for his sharp corners and kicking back. Those who dislike his intran- sigent ways have long attempted to have him shipped out. His inelegant tiff on Facebook makes him exposed. But the optics do not look good for Labour when it has to resort to false, moralistic premises to sack people who are considered to be valid, internal critics, and whose contribution to the Maltese literary milieu has been universally noted for its hard work. 20 December 2010 Possible further charges for Gatt FORMER police inspector David Gatt is ex- pected to face further interrogation by inves- tigators, as they continue to sift through vol- umes of evidence that has come to light since his arrest on 6 December, about his alleged involvement in organised crime over the past few years. Gatt, 40 from Birkirkara, faces 14 charges on criminal conspiracy and complicity to four ma- jor armed heists on banks, armoured vehicles and a jeweller, Gatt – dismissed from the po- lice corps in 2001 – now also faces the prospect of having to answer to more serious crimes, some of which allegedly involve murder. Investigators are keeping tight lipped about the ongoing investigation, as Portelli has re- portedly revealed more details about his six- year friendship with Gatt, which lasted until the day of his arrest. MaltaToday is informed that the new infor- mation in hand is "shocking" and continues to consolidate the evidence that Gatt styled him- self on the model of Corleone mafia boss, Toto Riina. During his testimony last Thursday, Portelli declined to answer any questions about cases that Gatt is so far not charged with. … SMSes sent on an unregistered mobile phone given to Mario Portelli revealed Gatt's obses- sion with the Mafia. The texts were saved on the mobile phone which is now in Police possession and show how Gatt communicated in Italian in 'pizzini' format. 'Pizzini' are the coded messages usually typed on strips of paper which are passed from mafia bosses to their soldiers when on the run. One particular message sent in January was soon after the abandoned heist on the ar- moured security van in Mriehel. The text sent by Gatt to Portelli read: "e stato Zu Toto" (it was Uncle Toto). Gatt also referred in code to meeting places, such as 'wolf' for his mother's home, or 'fuq' for an apartment. While fugitive Fabio Psaila was nicknamed by Gatt as 'Leoluca Bagharella' (Riina's brother in-law and right-hand man) he also introduced him to Portelli as his "general." ... Quote of the Week "Can't I do business? Did my life end because I'm a chief of staff now?" Keith Schembri fails to grasp the rigours of public office in an answer to the Caruana Galizia in-quiry board MaltaToday 10 years ago