Elections are always tense in Malta, and this one is no exception. And the courts of law always play a big part in the run-up, especially when libels start being fired from every corner, as politicians try to gain some kind of mileage and sometimes risk more than in normal circumstances, while others defend themselves by filing suits. Politicians are more adventurous because they know that court cases take long to be decided, and when judgments are made, the election would be many years in the past.
In this election, the courts of law are also playing their part, but in a different way. There are at least three halls which have become protagonists. Magistrate Aaron Bugeja is conducting an inquiry into the Egrant allegations, Magistrate Natasha Galea Sciberras is doing one on Keith Schembri and Brian Tonna, while Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera is investigating a criminal libel instituted by Pilatus Bank over leaks of an FIAU report.
It is very probable that these inquiries will not be finished before 3 June, but they are playing a big part in the campaign; just as much as the courts played a big role in the 2013 election campaign when the oil scandal erupted.
Simon Busuttil was in court yesterday to file an application to testify before Magistrate Bugeja on the revelations he made the day before, on payments made by Keith Schembri to former Times managing director Adrian Hillman. Muscat responded by saying that what Busuttil had said was a rehashed story only intended to delay proceedings.
And we will probably have more news from court today, as Busuttil will be testifying before Magistrate Bugeja. He has already done so in the Egrant case, which led to a second magisterial inquiry, and we will now wait for the decision by Magistrate Bugeja. Will there be a third inquiry?
More news from court yesterday came also from Magistrate Bugeja, who summoned the editor of Illum newspaper after the latter published a story online saying that the Egrant case had been concluded. The story turned out to be the perfect example of fake news, and the Magistrate wanted to know why it had been uploaded online. We do not know what happened inside the courtroom, but Illum editor Albert Gauci Cunningham seemed so shaken by the experience that his replies to a Net TV reporter were a jumble of words nobody understood.
There was also a hearing of the libel case instituted by PL deputy leader Chris Cardona against blogger Daphne Caruana Galizia, a story that was also the talk of the town for several weeks and which could have also have a bearing on the election outcome.
The real political activities included a press conference by Labour on sports facilities, during which Prime Minister Joseph Muscat announced, among other things, that a pool will be built in San Giljan. We’ll believe it when we see it, Mr Prime Minister, since this is something that has been promised to the Giljanizi since the end of the Second World War.
Labour also had a press conference on social measures.
Fashion is not something that I normally comment about, but this time I will make an exception. The Prime Minister’s wife is normally dressed up to the nines in any public event, although there are many who do not like her style. She certainly looks better than her official counterpart, Kristina, the Opposition Leader’s partner, who seems to prefer plain dresses and has a penchant for flowers. Yesterday, however, I could not help notice that Mrs Muscat chose a blouse with many peppers. It Italy, many wear what is known as the cornicello, an amulet of good luck in the shape of a pepper. Maybe Mrs Muscat has become superstitious.