Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/970554
maltatoday WEDNESDAY 18 APRIL 2018 Analysis 7 investigations to vitriol, class prejudice and pure invective. Although in the moral order her darker side is incomparable to the evil of those behind her gruesome murder, it still left a trail of human suffering. She also promoted a divi- sive and polarising world-view which failed to see nuances not just among the Labour leaning segment of the population but also among 'in betweens'. Yet in some ways she was more continental than some of her myopic critics. She gave his- torical personalities like Dom Mintoff, the same harsh treat- ment received by politicians like Margaret Thatcher in the UK after her death. Lately she also targeted PN politicians like Adrian De- lia but she largely spared the Gonzi administration from vo- cal criticism, mostly reserved to its critics, irrespective if they were Labourites, greens or non- partisan. Moreover, a sober analysis has to recognise that the way Egrant allegations were pre- sented by Caruana Galizia last year only served to push the Opposition in a corner, provid- ing an alibi for Muscat to go for an election he knew he could easily win. Yet the fact that Europeans – including intellectuals and me- dia outlets and many with a left wing orientation – overlooked the second aspect to focus on Daphne's journalistic acumen also speaks for itself. It stands as a lesson for those in Malta who are immobilised by their inability to rise above the antipathies she herself trig- gered. Many wrongly assume that foreign observers are unaware of the more sinister aspect of Caruana Galizia's legacy. From what I gathered in the few ex- changes I have had with foreign journalists and politicians in the past months, they are per- fectly aware of the many facets of the DCG brand. But in the face of her assassination they consider her hard journalistic exposes as more relevant to the bigger picture than her fair share of gossip and invective. Bipolar reactions One disappointing aspect in these six months has been the absence of anything remotely resembling an analysis of Caru- ana Galizia worthy for inclu- sion in the obituary page of the Economist. Such a task falls squarely on Maltese analysts and not on foreign observers who inevita- bly see Caruana Galizia in her larger than life persona as a 'slain journalist' whose legacy they feel duty bound to contin- ue and honour. As often happens Malta got stuck between two rival narra- tives of those who regard her as a martyr awaiting canonisa- tion and those who are aller- gic to her very name. One also finds those who take a free ride on the wave of anguish among a segment of the population and those for whom her legacy represents a threat to a status quo in which they have already heavily invested in. It is a legacy which has gal- vanised a vibrant civil society movement but which risks par- alysing an Opposition which also has to appeal to voters who are more nuanced about her legacy. It is here that the introspection of Maltese public intellectu- als is severely tested. For while foreign journalists and analysts may have a habit of joining the dots without understanding the local context, they also have the advantage of operating at a safe distance from local power and patronage networks. Keeping distances is simply difficult in a small country like Malta. This often results in a reverential approach to power. Having the Prime Minister re- ferred to as the "artful dodger" by James Sweeney in a televised BBC interview was in itself re- freshing in a country where people defer to power. Daphne's irreverence to power, albeit se- lective, was in this sense a rarity in the Maltese landscape. The fact that Maltese politi- cians and appointees are now subject to international criti- cism for their dumb declara- tions is also very welcome news. An island full of bumpkins? At the very least this should stand as a warning against putting incompetent inward looking people in positions of responsibility where they inevi- tably end up being scrutinised by their European peers. People like Jason Micallef who have repeatedly mocked the journalist's legacy and even called for the removal of her makeshift memorial; have been completely oblivious to the fact that their role in the cultural field makes them directly ac- countable to the likes of global authors like Salman Rushdie and Elif Shafak. Yet unfortunately over the past months the increased scrutiny abroad has been met by a frenzy of inward looking isolationism and an attempt to transpose the Maltese partisan mentality to the international sphere. In this grotesque narrative European politicians like Green politician Sven Geigold, left of centre newspapers like the Guardian and La Repubblica and global intellectuals like Roberto Saviano are all seen as pawns in the hands of a con- spiracy against the Labour gov- ernment fueled by jealousy over Malta's economic success. It is this narrative which risks undermining our country's reputation further by making the whole country look like one big village inhabited by bump- kins. Yet there is a limit to the in- fluence of foreign media outlets and representative institutions like the EU parliament have on events taking place in Malta. Governments in Malta may well be comforted knowing that the opinion of the inter- national media has not in any way eroded the popularity of governments in countries like Poland and Hungary. While these countries are led by right wing governments which stand on the opposite pole of Muscat's globalism, their reaction to foreign criti- cism has been similar. Such a response is all the more awk- ward in a country like Malta which thrives on foreign labour and which owes its current eco- nomic prosperity to its expo- sure to the global economy. But globalisation is not a one-way street. Greater political scrutiny from foreigners is the other side of the coin of economic integra- tion. One can't be a globalist when it comes to the economy and an isolationist when the shit hits the fan. jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt Valletta 2018 Jason Micallef came under criticism for messages posted on social media MATTHEW AGIUS A defence lawyer for one of the men accused of the murder of Daphne Caru- ana Galizia has said the case had been "blown out of proportion", in his sub- missions on bail. Lawyer Martin Fene- ch's unfortunate turn of phrase was repeated twice in his submissions, as he pleaded for his client to be released on bail. Brothers Alfred Degior- gio (known as Il-fulu) and George Degiorgio (Iċ- Ċiniz) as well as Vince Muscat, (known as il- koħħu) have been under arrest since a dawn raid on a Marsa warehouse on December 4. They have pleaded not guilty to the car bombing which claimed the life of jour- nalist and blogger Daphne Caruana Galizia. People who had been ac- cused of murder have been given bail in the past, he argued, adding that the inspector had said that the evidence collection was in its final stages. "What is left is technical," he main- tained. "This case has been blown out of proportion," repeated Fenech. "There have been many murders in the past. The facts must be placed in context. Bail is a right no matter how serious the crime and what stage the investiga- tion is at." The accused had behaved in prison and live in Malta, insisted the lawyer, also highlighting that witness- es had now testified. "This case, for better or worse, has been blown out of proportion," repeated Fenech. Inspector Keith Arnaud and parte civile counsel Jason Azzopardi decried the use of the phrase in the context of a car bomb that claimed Caruana Gal- izia's life, calling it "cruel". Arnaud said the law was clear in that bail was dis- cretionary for the court in all cases. There had been cases where bail was granted to people charged with homicide, but the circumstances had to be taken into account at law. "There's a difference be- tween a killing that could have been in self-defence and a car bomb." The accuseds' character and previous convictions are also to be taken into account for the purposes of bail. "The accuseds' criminal record speaks for itself… are they trustworthy?" asked the Inspector. He contested the allega- tion that the organised crime reference was a fantasy, pointing out that Maltese law stipulated that organised crime ex- isted when three or more people participate in a wider conspiracy, he said. Fenech argued that the men's criminal record only had minor offences. "Is this the fear that the prosecutor is alleging?" he asked. The court will issue its decree from the chambers. Daphne Caruana Galizia case 'blown out of proportion' defence lawyer says Lawyer for one of the accused argues bail is a right no matter the seriousness of the crime or stage of investigation