The inquiry announced last Saturday by President George Abela is not about the many allegations that have been made, and are still being made, about the goings-on at the Palace, but about a dinner conversation I had at the State dinner for President Napolitano.

The report on which the inquiry is being held turns out to be a two-page report drawn up by Marica Mizzi, the President’s Communications Coordinator, on what she remembered from what was said at table during the State dinner.

As I told the one-man inquiry when they sent for me, some things in Ms Mizzi’s report are not exact, maybe because she was not sitting next to me but two places away.

Some things she also got wrong as one does when one takes no notes and tries to remember everything from memory.

The conversation was in the open and those around the table, which included Dr Lydia Abela, the Auditor General, Charles Bonello and private persons, could all hear what was said.

The conversation, naturally enough, centred on what had appeared in MaltaToday regarding the President and Olaph Terribile.

I admitted I too had met Mr Terribile. We had met some days before in a public place – at an Msida restaurant during lunchtime and with people around us. Anyone could see that Mr Terribile had brought a file with him and kept showing me papers. I surmised that besides me, he must have spoken or taken to lunch other journalists.

However, contrary to what Ms Mizzi said, I never handled the file and did not take it with me. I refused to divulge to the Inquiry the nature of the documents in the file, for that involves the confidential relationship between a journalist and his contact.

As I did on The Malta Independent leader of last Saturday, I urged the President’s staff to reply to the allegations. So far, I do not think they did. If they did, they’re bungling it badly.

I find it extraordinary that instead of an inquiry being launched on the media reports on the Presidency and the nature of the disagreement which led to Mr Terribile’s removal, an inquiry is being held on the nature of a dinner table conversation.

At no point during or after the meal did I have any private conversation with Ms Mizzi.

However, I clarified a point with Dr Abela which regarded her husband, Robert, and later with Dr Robert Abela himself.

Will people now go to State functions aware that any conversation they have can be reported and form the basis of an inquiry afterwards?



Marica Mizzi removes photos from her Facebook

After the publication by this paper yesterday of a photo of Ms Mizzi taken from her Facebook page, all such photos were removed yesterday.

The photos were taken from the New Year’s Eve ball at the Palace and some other Palace officials were recognisable in them.



Parties at the Palace – guest lists taken from a database?

Some receptions held by the President were strictly kept away from the press.

There were at least two instances. The invitees were divided into two classes; those of the higher class were invited along with their wives.

The problem were those invited on their own. When they arrived, they were mostly non-plussed: why would the President invite them? They were pastizzi outlet owners, retail shops owners, small businessmen, etc.

Then the penny dropped – they realised they all came from the same area around Fgura, which led to the more alert among them to surmise their names had come out of a database related to a particular area and for a particular reason.

Could there be a link between the Palace and the Fgura area?