Reference is being made to the editorial carried on the 30 December entitled “How to undermine trust”, particularly in the part where it states:
“It was quite predictable that the (Local Governance) Board would (find no wrongdoing by the Marsacala Mayor) when one considers who the board is composed of: Dr Noel Bartolo as chairman, Arthur Ellul as member and above all Ronnie Pellegrini (of the Lorry Sant past) as member.”
The Malta Independent has, of course, every right to agree or disagree with any pronouncement, judgment or decree issued by any Court, Tribunal and Board. That is the essence of the democratic way of life and the Government strongly embraces a healthy debate on such matters.
However, the attacking of the Board members themselves is completely another story. That is incorrect, unfair and completely uncalled for. The editorial made an active effort to discredit the decision of the Local Governance Board not by bringing counter-arguments as is done in a healthy democracy but by trying to discredit the members themselves simply because they unanimously concluded that there was no wrongdoing by the Marsascala Mayor.
Firstly, the current Board is appointed by terms of regulation 4(1) of Subsidiary Legislation 363.150 published on the 2 February 2010. Therefore, the method of composition of the present Board is exactly the same as the method of composition utilised under the previous administration.
Secondly, the current Board is presided by a senior and widely respected lawyer, Dr Noel Bartolo. The respect Dr Bartolo gained over time has led him to serve in various positions under both the previous administration (advisor to the Court Administration and Adjudicator on Local Tribunals) and the present administration. He is the epitome of merit, an advocate of high integrity and it is very unfair the Malta Independent to attack his credibility simply because he happened to endorse a decision with which the Malta Independent disagrees.
Thirdly, the current Board, presided by the same Dr Bartolo has a couple of weeks ago issued two strongly worded decisions against the Local Councillor. When those two decisions were issued the Malta Independent did not come out criticising Dr Bartolo and the other members of the Board. A case of two weights two measures?
The Local Governance Board is a very credible institution which is doing a very good service to increased transparency in Local Governance. During this legislature alone, it has given not less than 58 decisions. It is a pity that hardworking people end up being attacked and discredited by some media simply for doing their job to the best of their ability.
Dorothy Falzon
Communications Co-ordinator
Justice, Culture and Local Government Ministry
Noel Grima writes:
It is of course very convenient for the ministry to hide behind the respectability of the chairman of the Board of Governance while skimming over the two other components of the board – a former Labour councilor and Lorry Sant’s former factotum.
It is equally convenient to skirt around the issues raised by another paper (The Times) and not even reply neither here nor on that paper (ie) that the board contented itself with just the testimony of the executive secretary and with just an affidavit by the Mayor of Marsascala to reach its conclusion.
One doubts whether the 57 other decisions decided over by the board were as nationally important as the one that regards Zonqor Point, the so-called American University of Malta and the attractive offer of a new council house.