Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1484063
TRUTH IS OF NO COLOUR WWW.MALTATODAY.COM.MT SUNDAY • 30 OCTOBER 2022 • ISSUE 1990 • PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY maltatoday How politics is short-changed by weak party finance rules PAGES 18-19 Financing NICOLE MEILAK MARTIN Cachia was killed in a Marsaskala car bomb and almost seven years later his wife has been left questioning who carried out the hit. Cachia was killed when his car blew up while he was driving along the Marsaskala bypass in 2016. He was a registered fish- erman and had pending charg- es for drug trafficking, human smuggling, and contraband cig- arettes. Nobody has been charged with his murder and his wife, Elena Cachia, has been unable to get any answers from the police. She speaks with MaltaToday about her husband, his illegal affairs and lifts the lid on how Martin grew anxious in the months be- fore the murder. Elena married her husband in 2013 after dating him for nine years. As they got married, Mar- tin appointed her director to all of his companies to avoid any in- heritance issues down the line. PAGES 2-3 M'skala car bomb widow: 'Who killed my husband?' PAGES 14-15 Clocks change! Excerpts from Passport To Vice Matthew Vella's true crime history of the Maltese 'mafia' in London PAGES 10-12 The Maltese vice kings of Soho Money, bombs... and then some more, in the Maltese empire of vice KURT SANSONE CLYDE Caruana believes the Labour Party should not be ashamed of call- ing itself a socialist party, insisting this represents the soul of the party. Red Clyde: Labour should not be ashamed of calling itself socialist PGS 14-15 €1.95 'Claus' act: schools told to salute Saint Nic not Father Christmas Wife left in the dark after partner, fisherman Martin Cachia, was killed in 2016 car bomb National Literacy Agency says schools should show kids real Father Christmas PAGE 4 Rishi call for election? PAGES 12-13 NEXT Brexit Britain? It's autumn... turn the clock one hour back maltatoday | SUNDAY • 30 OCTOBER 2022 COMMENT What are we skinning? The beginnings of a steamy, will- they-won't-they bromance between two of the island's most adamant limelight hog- gers in recent memory: Fran- co Debono and Jon Mallia. Why are we skinning it? Because it involves a volatile and vocal former MP and the island's more eager and generous platform provider, and they're clearly both very much in love. Wait, wait. What actually happened for you to get all rom-com about it? Well, Jon Mallia extended an invitation to former PN MP and criminal lawyer Franco Debono, asking him whether he'd appear on Mallia's acclaimed long-form podcast. The ordinarily me- dia-happy Debono then re- sponded in the most peculiar way imaginable… by actually rejecting Mallia's proposal. On what grounds? On the grounds that Mallia should not be allowed to profit off their conversation and the subsequent six-hour or so debate which would ensue. What was their original spat even about, anyway? Something about red budget briefcases and England's colonial history… I honestly can't remember, and it's bare- ly the point right now. That's true. When you fall in grasp at any straw going invitation to 'take things to the next level' would be welcomed? You're underesti- mating the extent of Franco's pride. Past that initial flush of romantic risk, the blood starts to resettle from the head and back into its respective organs, and one begins to feel exposed. So retreat is inevitable. Hence the irrational volte- face. Yes. A well-paid criminal lawyer claiming that a pod- caster shouldn't earn money for their efforts – and that of their team – is about an irrational a claim as one can muster. But the course of true love never did run smooth, and neither do the mechanics which guide it. It was big of Jon Mallia to take that first step, though. We'll see whether his affec- tion for Franco will survive this unflattering tantrum. Being left slap-bang in the middle of the darkest se- quence of a romantic comedy is quite nerve wracking. Well, let's be frank(ie) about it – there's still a while to go until Valentine's Day, and it's Halloween tomorrow. So this could end up going south, fast. Do say: "If you poke the Debono bear you never quite know what you're gonna get… and apparently this time, we've discovered he has a problem with monetised online platforms." "Does the country three-to-six Sunak is Britain's newest PM. What next? OPINION PAGES 12,13 The Skinny Malta, shrunk down MICHAEL FALZON Road rage rules, ok PAGE 7 No 162 - Frankie and Jon Play Hard to Get JOSANNE CASSAR How did we managed to live our lives before social media? PAGE 6 EDITORIAL Transparency still lacking in asset declarations PAGE 2 SAVIOUR BALZAN Recusals? Maybe it's fair play after all PAGE 5 In some ways, the Conservative party has a lot to be proud of when it comes to promoting ethnic minority colleagues maltatoday | SUNDAY • 23 OCTOBER 2022 CLASSIFIEDS & COMMERCIALS ARTS • TV • WHAT'S ON Darren Tanti Artist maltatoday Get the critical perspective on politics, culture and society Be the first to enjoy our print newspaper with a subscription When you need to decode what politicians are saying, when you want to understand why Malta's crazy construction industry is impacting upon your life, when you need to step out of the social media and understand the world from a different perspective, our journalists and columnists will provide you with expert reporting, analysis and commentary. Order now at maltatoday.uberflip.com