European parliament’s investigation of rule of law in Malta not credible from beginning to end

Maltese MEP and former Prime Minister Alfred Sant said the exercise conducted by the European Parliament to “investigate” the rule of law in Malta was from beginning to end not credible. Dr Sant said the effort carried out by the members of the EP delegation fell foul of all the criteria that make similar exercises credible wherever the rule of law truly prevails – criteria that would determine what is usually called due process. For this reason, the work the delegation carried out is not credible.
“That there exist problems in the governance of the country and in the control of corruption is clear. That they are to be taken into account by following the procedures of the European Parliament as laid out during the December visit of its delegation to Malta is risible.”
Dr Sant said the members of that delegation simply assumed the role of investigator, witness, prosecutor, jury and judge. A number of them had for quite a while functioned already as protagonists in Malta-bashing. The presence among them of David Casa was typical of the occult methods used in organizing the work of the delegation. All this, without mentioning the quality of the people they met to discuss the Malta scene, like for instance when covering “civil society”.
The Maltese MEP said the delegation discussed issues that are important for the country, though they had been raised before by other analysts and spokespersons from diverse sectors on the island, on both left and right. Their report as expected, and as they expected, created waves in the print and social media of the nation.

Maltese Version – L-INVESTIGAZZJONI TAL-PARLAMENT EWROPEW FUQ IL-LIĠI TAD-DRITT F’MALTA MA KINITX KREDIBBLI MILL-BIDU SAL-AĦĦAR

Alfred Sant qal li l-eżerċizzju tal-Parlament Ewropew biex “jinvestiga” l-istat tad-dritt f’Malta baqa’ mhux kredibbli mill-bidu sal-aħħar. Il-ħidma tad-delegazzjoni tal-Parlament Ewropew kienet nieqsa mill-kriterji kollha li jagħmlu l-eżerċizzju kredibbli fejn tassew jitħaddem l-istat tad-dritt: kriterji li jiddeterminaw dak li bl-Ingliż jissejjaħ due process. Għalhekk ħidmietha mhijiex kredibbli, qal il-Kap tad-Delegazzjoni Laburista fil-Parlament Ewropew.
“Li jeżistu problemi fil-governanza tal-pajjiż u fil-kontrolli fuq il-korruzzjoni, hi ħaġa ċara. Iżda li dawn jiġu ffaċċjati bil-proċeduri tal-Parlament kif maħduma biż-żjara tad-delegazzjoni ta’ Diċembru li għadda hi redikolaġni.”
Dr Sant qal li l-membri tad-delegazzjoni assumew ir-rwol ta’ investigatur, xhud, prosekutur, ġurija u imħallef. Numru minnhom kienu ilhom protagonisti tal-kritika kontra Malta. Il-preżenza fosthom ta’ David Casa kien xempju tal-istil okkult li bih organizzaw xogħolhom. Dan bla ma nsemmu l-kwalità tan-nies li ltaqgħu magħhom, fosthom dawk mis-“soċjetà ċivili.”
L-Ewroparlamentari qal li d-delegazzjoni qajmet mistoqsijiet importanti għal pajjiżna, imma qabilhom qajmuhom kummentaturi u kelliema minn diversi sezzjonijiet, xellug u lemin. Ir-rapport tagħhom, kif mistenni u kif stennew, qajjem furur fil-midja stampati u soċjali tan-nazzjon.