Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/560195
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 23 AUGUST 2015 26 Letters Marc Bonello was a wanted man in France, but today he has been elevated to a distin- guished member of the French order. The man whom French magistrate Dominque de Tallancé wanted arrested to answer for the disastrous oil spillage after the Maltese-flagged vessel Erika broke into two off the coast of Brittany, is now a Knight of the Maritime Merit of the French Republic. The honour was conferred to him by outgoing ambassador Patrick Chrismant on Bastille Day on 14 July, the French national day. Attempts to contact the magistrate who waged a campaign against the Malta Mari- time Authority's chairman and executive director Lino Vassallo were futile as de Tallancé is on vacation until the end of the month. De Tallancé had ordered Bonello and Vas- sallo to appear in front of the French courts after French civic groups, and families of small entrepreneurs, asked the courts to decide whether the Maltese authorities are culpable for the oil disaster that left hundreds of French families without an income. Although Brittany is hundreds of miles away from Malta, emotions run high in this windswept part of France, where social- ist MEP Bernard Poignant has been at the forefront of a campaign to raise awareness about the Erika disaster, calling for com- pensation for the victims of the oil spill. The affected coast was home to thou- sands of wild seabirds, miles of golden sandy beaches and the richest oyster farms in Western Europe. The Erika, a Maltese-registered oil tanker, was a single hulled and ageing vessel when in 1999 it broke in half off the Breton coast losing tonnes of oil which left the rich crus- tacean beds completely devastated in this otherwise popular tourist destination. Though the maritime authority denied any responsibility for the accident, it later became clear that the Maltese authorities did little in the way of monitoring when it came to their own flagships, depending mostly on third parties to verify that stand- ards were adhered to and knowing all too well that the Maltese flag is no more than a flag of convenience. Bonello was one of the three Maltese na- tionals to be decorated on Bastille Day, with an award that followed a period of tension in Franco-Maltese relations over the 1999 Erika disaster. But the French recognised Bonello's efforts to improve the security of the Maltese shipping fleet, to enable the island's removal from the International Maritime Organisation's blacklist. Malta's reputation as a flag of convenience continued to attract notoriety following the Erika disaster, which was the catalyst for more stringent regulations at the Malta Maritime Authority. Even Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi joked during his EU presi- dency with reporters that Malta should be given responsibility for oil tanker safety, on speaking over a proposal for prime minis- ters to be represented on the Commission. The authority's chairman came under unexpected praise from the former French ambassador to Malta, Didier Destremau, the outspoken emissary who took Malta to task over its environmental record, even pushing for the MMA to make necessary changes in its ship registration procedures. "He is a very reliable and professional man, and I also think he did a good job on the question of ship registration," Destremau told MaltaToday, who is today head of Caritas International's arms control campaign, and is busy preparing himself for the publication of a book about Malta. "It was hard to change certain habits, but along with Lino Vassallo, he managed to place emphasis on quality rather than quantity when it came to ship registration, with his smooth diplomatic action. It is a recognition by the French republic of his good work – after all Bonello himself was not personally responsible for the Erika disaster, so I don't think it is ironic." News • 21 August 2005 French unction heals Erika's wounds with knighthood Foundation's plan for Co-Cathedral museum When the St John's Co-Cathedral Foundation embarked on the new museum project it had at the forefront the preservation of the Co-Cathedral and its priceless art collections as the focus of the extension and refurbishment of its splendid museum. The cemetery in the courtyard, said to hold the remains of knights who fell in the Great Siege, trans- ferred here from Birgu, was com- pletely destroyed by enemy action during the Second World War. Presently there is an ugly concrete platform constructed post war in the 1960's with a commemorative monument. The Foundation's plan specially focuses on refurbishing this area. The concrete platform will be rede- fined with a specifically designed elegant marble podium that will be engraved with the names of those knights transferred here. The modern arches built in the 1960's will serve as an entrance and exit to the museum, directly in front of the commemorative monument, which will be given a lot of attention as the visitor's tour will start exactly from this point with the audio guide's explanation highlighting its history. It will not be covered, built on and certainly no disturbance of graves or any desecration will take place. The view of the courtyard from street level on Merchants Street will be enhanced to evoke interest and allow better circulation around the monument. Passers-by will be able to better enjoy the view of the interior space. The chamber exhibiting the larg- est seventeenth-century tapestry set, based on the creations of the world-renowned artist Peter Paul Rubens, will be on the first floor above the arches. The Foundation is obliged to correctly display this dazzling set of tapestries in the right conservation environment, where they can be enjoyed and studied after the painstakingly delicate and costly restoration, which is now almost complete. The Foundation is a non-profit making organisation which is con- tinuously investing all its proceeds towards the restoration, conserva- tion and the much needed new museum to provide the space and means to give visitors an educa- tional and comfortable visit that is now expected by experienced travellers. This project of national importance will ensure that all Maltese citizens will be made proud of this unique heritage site. Dr Philip Farrugia Randon President St John's Co-Cathedral Foundation Dedication to Baku success I would like to point out to Mr Pippo Psaila (Malta's only win- ner at Baku: the travel agent, MaltaToday, 9 August) that the Baku European games were of the highest level as far as my sport is concerned. Only players who managed to qualify to take part made it there and Badmin- ton Europe insisted with the Malta Olympic Committee for our participation, as was our right. Moreover, if we come to com- pare events, one cannot compare the GSSE to Baku. The latter was of a higher standard and organi- sation. In this regard, I wouldn't contest if my sport were being so poorly taken care of in Malta, to be inserted in the GSSE games. If that were the case we would have been far up on the winning side. Nevertheless, Baku provided my sport an opportunity to participate in a multi-sport event since we never get to be invited in any other sports events. See- ing that we qualified for the event, we had a right to be there. Finally, may I point out the dedication our amateur sport- speople have to training every day in a bid to pass on sports values to our younger genera- tions. And how much longer will it take to give these sports the importance they deserve? The badminton players I met at Baku were all full-time sportsmen: can we compare their resources and standards with ours? Fiorella Marie Sadowski Gudja Santa Marija chapel at Tarxien Changes needed in the political structures Thanks to the present and previous administrations, the ancient chapel of Santa Marija at Tarxien, known as Tar-Rok- na, recently had its exterior renovated. Well done! To give Caesar his due, the work was initiated on the insistence of Jason Azzopardi and carried out by the present government by the Department of Restoration. Talking to one of the workers I was informed that the depart- ment will not touch the chapel's interior as they will neither restore the parvis nor the chan- cel. In fact only the piece of art on the main altar attributed to Rokku Buhagiar (1771) has been restored. This is rather sad as the chapel had been closed for the last couple of months. This year not even the titular feast of the Assumption of Our Lady was celebrated. I appeal to the civil and ec- clesiastical authorities to see that the work already started will continue so that the chapel will be reopened and liturgical services continue to be held as in the past. One last word – this chapel is the oldest church in Tarxien. It is thought it was built around 1415 when Fra Anton Platamone was Bishop of Malta. Alfred Massa Tarxien I read with interest Saviour Balzan's opinion (9 August, 2015) and I surely agree with recommended changes. I did come across similar proposals in the past. However, ad- dressing our political processes has to be preceded with changes in the political structures, otherwise our malaise will continue to fester. First and foremost the institutions pertaining to law and order have to be independent from the govern- ment. The police force must not need a 'request' to start investigat- ing any suspicious behaviour. The AG should not represent both the state and the government. Members of the courts must not be appointed by the government, neither the police commissioner for that matter. Another flaw we have in our political scenario is MPs having the faculty to carry on with their private practice. To add insult to injury, the present government ap- pointed 'backbenchers' to various government/regulatory authorities with exorbitant remuneration. The latest code of ethics for the cabinet, allowing its members to conduct private practice if deemed in the 'national interest,' would be farcical if not tragic. And some people are suggesting members of the police force should not be denied any opportunity to have a part-time job. These are dangerous notions. Member of the police force, AG of- fice, and the courts should not even be allowed to be actively involved with NGOs, let alone money-earn- ing jobs! We also have the fallacy of appointing persons running important regulatory bodies (e.g. MEPA, MRA, etc.) without security of tenure. The list could go on, but these would be a great start. Finally, in the quintessential debate of whether a state should be struc- tured on either a Presidential type of government (like USA, Brazil) vs our Parliamentary one, I would surely vote in favour of the former. This way the parliament would not be a rubberstamp of the whims of the government. George Caruana Mosta