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6 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 27 MARCH 2022 OPINION 2 maltatoday EXECUTIVE EDITOR KURT SANSONE ksansone@mediatoday.com.mt 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 • 21 MAY 2023 Burying the Muscat legacy: the right thing to do Editorial ROBERT Abela has had a convoluted relationship with his predecessor's legacy since becoming Labour leader in 2020. He has repeatedly pledged to continue building on the good that was done, and to fix "where things could have been done better". For some reason, however, he has never found it in him to describe the corruption that happened under the Muscat administration as "bad"; that would be too strong a word for him to use. But the opening of secretive companies in Panama by Konrad Mizzi and Keith Schembri; the machinations behind the Electrogas tender; the implicit corruption involving Yorgen Fenech's 17 Black and the two Panama companies; Enemalta's payment of a high premium to acquire a Montenegro wind farm, from which Fenech enriched himself; the fraudulent hospitals deal; a minis- ter's deliberate attempt to mislead Cabinet; these are not things that 'could have been done better'. These instances all point towards a group of people who entered government with a clear intention to enrich themselves. These were people with a personal roadmap that ran parallel to that of the country. The assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia at the behest of someone so close to Castille's topmost officials, is definitely not something that 'could have been done better' – it was an evil act in which a journalist was si- lenced because of her work. Last week's revelations concerning former prime min- ister Joseph Muscat and the VGH hospitals deal were yet another nail in the coffin of the Labour Party's fairy tale since 2008. That Muscat was in the employ of Swiss company Ac- cutor soon after he stepped down from prime minister had already been revealed. We also knew that Accutor had itself received payments from Steward Health Care, which took over the ill-fated hospitals concession in Malta. But the new information made available by the OC- CRP, Times of Malta and The Shift showed that one of the companies Muscat received payments from had previously been called VGH Europe and was set up by a director of the original hospitals concessionaire. In a further twist, it was later revealed that former VGH director Ram Tumuluri has asked for whistleblow- er protection status in the US to lift the lid on alleged threats he received from top officials in the Muscat administration to transfer the hospitals concession to Steward. Tumuluri's filings in the US also state he will give information on the corruption under the Muscat administration in relation to the hospitals deal. Once again, these are not things that 'could have been done better'. These are serious accusations of corruption involving Joseph Muscat and those closest to him in the previous administration. The former prime minister has denied any wrong- doing, suggesting there is a concerted effort by obscure forces to tarnish his reputation. He has gone as far as to request the inquiring magistrate's recusal. The magisterial inquiry into the hospitals deal, which has been going on for four years now, will determine whether there is enough evidence that could lead police to charge the people involved, including Muscat. It is not for Abela to pronounce himself on the guilt or otherwise of Muscat; that is a matter for the courts to decide. But the Prime Minister has the duty and respon- sibility towards his party and the country to pronounce himself on the political impact of the sleaze that char- acterised some of the major projects under the previous administration. Abela cannot ignore all that has happened, including the damning findings of the National Audit Office pub- lished last week. The NAO pinned the blame on Konrad Mizzi; but it also noted the lack of proper engagement by Muscat and Schembri when information was solicited from them. Abela cannot brush off this whirlwind so lightly. If he wants to distance himself and his administration from the wrongdoing of his predecessor, he has to acknowl- edge that what happened was bad and denounce the pro- tagonists who have dragged the country into a quagmire. At a political level Muscat's legacy, with all its good, has been poisoned. This is a legacy that cannot be treated any longer with kids gloves by those who believed in the change that was promised. Labour supporters understandably want to cherish the good that has been achieved – and there has been a lot of good. But the coin also has a terrible flipside that leads up to the man who was in charge. Labour supporters must not let nostalgia get in the way of telling things as they are. This is why Robert Abela must show true leadership. It is not enough for him to say that, upon becoming prime minister three years ago, he put an immediate end to the farce of having government workers remove flowers from Daphne's makeshift memorial in Valletta. It is not enough for him to say that his government has imple- mented important reforms. It is not enough for him to say he took the bold decision to kick Konrad Mizzi out of the party. Abela has to be the first to acknowledge the bad things without softening the language used. He has to tell his supporters that the bad decisions taken by the Muscat cabal do not represent the party's values. He then has to apologise to his supporters and the nation for the actions of his predecessor. The poisoned Muscat legacy must be buried and the Prime Minister must reiterate his support for all organs of the State in the pursuit for justice. This course of action will hurt and anger certain sec- tions of the party grassroots. But it is the right thing to do. 20 May 2013 George Abela not interested in second term, speaks out on MCCF controversy PRESIDENT of the Republic George Abela has said he was not interested in serving a second term as president even if this were possible. Following his philanthropic mission to Peru and his active participation in L-Istrina, many have signed up to a Facebook page urging George Abela to remain on as President. Speaking on TVHemm, were for the first time he also spoken about the controversy which engulfed the Malta Community Chest Fund in the past days, Abela said he had no intention of serving another term. Abela defended MCCF's decision to offer its secretary to have a Master's degree subsidised by the charity fund, insisting the charity organ- isation had assisted other persons in furthering their studies. Abela however insisted that the decision to suggest that the MCCF charity funds a Master's degree on eating disorders for its secretary Dar- lene Zerafa, was not his but he still was the one to make the proposal to the board. Zerafa, who is the sister of Abela's daughter- in-law, is also employed as the personal assistant to the President's wife Margaret Abela. Leaked minutes of the MCCF show that Ab- ela suggested that the charity funds Zerafa's distance-learning Master's degree, which deals with eating disorders, because it would serve in good stead for Dar Kenn Ghal Sahhtek, a foun- dation jointly run by the MCCF and the health ministry. "Zerafa was giving voluntary help to the or- ganisation as it plans to set up a home for per- sons with eating disorders," Abela said, referring to the Dar Kenn ghall-Sahhtek project. The home is to open in autumn and can offer professional help and care to 30 residents for up to six months. Abela said he had asked Zerafa to leave the room when the proposal to grant her financial assistance was made. "I did not take part in the discussion and it was all up to the board to take its decision," he said, stressing that Zerafa her- self had refused the offer. The President also condemned whoever leaked the confidential minutes of the MCCF meeting. ... Quote of the Week "It was coming at high speed and started swaying, swerving, and then collided with the motorcycle… At the moment of impact, I saw the pillion rider being hurled into the field and the motorcyclist on to the ground." Eyewitness recounting in court the Mosta accident in which two men on a motorcycle died after being hit by a car driven by a man who was intoxicated with alcohol and cocaine. 19 May, 2023 MaltaToday 10 years ago