Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1526110
7 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 1 SEPTEMBER 2024 OPINION Here we go again THERE are many occasions when you know things but cannot talk about them. I am starting to wonder if everyone is as stupid as they make themselves out to be or are able to read between the lines but prefer to remain silent. So, when former Nationalist MP Jason Azzopardi – never in the mood to miss out on a chance to be in the spotlight – decided to speak his mind about Yorgen Fenech and his culpability in the Daphne Caruana Galizia murder, I have no doubt that he knew exactly what he was doing. Azzopardi is not exactly an innocent bystander in this murder case. He is legal counsel to the Caruana Galizia family and familiar with the political machinations surrounding this case. Being the seasoned lawyer he is, he also knows the meaning of sub judice. Anyone in his right senses would want all those responsible for Daphne Carua- na Galizia's murder to be tried for their crimes. More than anyone else, Caruana Gal- izia's relatives want justice to be served and I sure they believe the murder was not a one man show. Azzopardi is full of himself and fond of listening to his own voice but he cannot say that he did not see the implications of his comments in an interview with Lovin Malta. The lawyer said the mastermind behind the murder is solely Yorgen Fenech. Such an emphatic statement coming from a lawyer on a case that has had so many twists and turns is unbelievable. Today, we all know who Yorgen Fenech is and what he is accused of but many do not believe he acted alone. Azzopardi also knows that his comments could prejudice the judicial proceedings against Fenech but he is so self-conceited that he does not really care. So, it came as no surprise that Judge Edwina Grima ordered Lovin to delete those parts of the interview which could prejudice the case. Grima only acted af- ter Fenech's lawyers protested about the interview. Now, no one is saying that Fenech was not involved or was not the mastermind. But what no one seems to be asking is why does Azzopardi go down this road. He of all people, a lawyer to the Caruana Galizia family, should know better. And the answer lies with those who whisper in Azzopardi's ears. Persons who you would not imagine in a hundred years to be remotely close to Az- zopardi. Individuals who have an interest in deviating public attention from their own troubles. Better still, individuals who have a lot to lose if the investigation into the Caruana Galizia murder is widened. Every time someone talks to me about Azzopardi, I always remind them of his political history, his horrible character, his relationship with big business and his hypocritical stand on so many issues, in- cluding family and faith. He may be at the centre of important revelations but it does not exculpate him from the motives of his actions. And the reason that Azzopardi is always centre stage is simply because the Nation- alist Party is absent or on long leave. Every time a campaign needs political legitimacy the PN is never around. It is always Jason Azzopardi or Robert Aq- uilina who are spearheading a crisis, a corruption scandal or a serious allega- tion. The PN is always following a story; re- acting to a reaction and never owning a campaign. It is like there is no PN at all. And this is where the problem lies. The PN has already failed to take advan- tage of the momentum it gained after the European election. It seems like the party has no urgency to move forward. On the other hand, Jason Azzopardi and Robert Aquilina are like two restless souls hungry for stories and in a hurry to get things done. Yet they have a problem. The more they appear at the forefront the more they di- minish the PN and appear to be the pro- moters of all the anti-government rheto- ric. The flip side to this is they will never ap- peal to the middle ground or disenchant- ed Labour vote because they are seen to be like the Taliban in the eyes of many. That Bernard Grech has not been able to wrest the initiative from them is a fail- ure. Today more than ever it is crucial to have a solid and motivated Opposition, most especially when government acts and rules as if there is no tomorrow. But again, it depends on Bernard Grech to pick himself up and rock the boat. * * * Reading Karl Stagno Navarra's state- ment after a man was incarcerated after threatening him because of unpaid debt, would lead you to believe the former PN stalwart-turned One TV darling, is the victim here. Everyone seems to know the truth, but no one wants to say it. In his statement on Facebook Stagno Navarra talked about contemplating su- icide. When I faced a similar situation, he had told me that he had cancer and went into a yelling fit. The cancer scare turned out to be a big fat lie. If I had not heard it before I would be fooled into thinking that this was a gen- uine case. But this is not a genuine case. Stagno Navarra has a long history of not pay- ing bills, borrowing money from naive money lenders and ending up with huge bills to pay. Why he needs the money is another matter altogether. Despite his serious problems with debt he still finds refuge with the La- bour Party after his long years with the Nationalist Party. Anyone in his right senses should be asking him to get sorted before even ap- proaching the party for a job or help. The reason that Jason Azzopardi is always centre stage is simply because the Nationalist Party is absent or on long leave. Every time a campaign needs political legitimacy the PN is never around. Saviour Balzan Saviour Balzan is founder and co-owner of Media Today, publisher of MaltaToday, he is a TV host and pollster