It often seems that we live in a parallel dimension in which the tried and tested norms of political responsibility that the rest of the Western world are beholden to simply do not apply.
There are multiple examples that spring immediately to mind but for the sake of simplification we will concentrate on the most recent glaring example: Konrad Mizzi and Keith Schembri’s refusal to say whether they would appear before the European Parliament’s Panama Papers committee.
This newspaper had asked both Mizzi – the former health and energy minister and current minister without portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister – and Schembri – the Office of the prime Minister’s chief of staff – whether they make themselves available to the EP Panama Papers committee if summoned.
Rather inexplicably, both gave the very same lame, carbon copy answer to this newspaper: “If I receive such a request and justification, I will reply accordingly.”
Looking at the answers, on must genuinely ask: what, exactly, is that supposed to mean? Does it mean that “If they ask, I will give them an answer”?
It is more than obvious that both Mizzi and Schembri are most reticent about answering for their deeds before the glare of the European Parliament, and that they will, in the meantime, seek ways to wriggle out of this most uncomfortable prospect.
It is one thing to try to pull the wool over your own nation’s eyes, which the government has unsuccessfully attempted to do, but is quite another to attempt to fool MEPs representing 500 million European citizens who want answers for the corruption that was exposed through the Panama Papers leaks.
One can almost imagine the facial expressions on those European parliamentarians on the Panama Papers committee, who are champing at the bit to get the claws into Mizzi and Schembri, when they saw this newspaper’s comments from Mizzi and Schembri in yesterday’s issue.
The sheer gall of those replies will undoubtedly spur them to redouble their efforts two haul the two Maltese before the committee for a good grilling.
In the meantime, with Malta facing a situation of such magnitude – in which Mizzi is the only serving European minister exposed in the Panama Papers and that he, along with the Prime Minister’s own chief of staff, opened secret companies in Panama, trusts in New Zealand and attempted to open secret bank accounts in multiple countries soon after being elected and appointed to office – the country is also headed headlong into the European Union’s Presidency in January.
This observation is not being lost on the power brokers in Brussels.
An EU expert told this newspaper that if Mizzi is asked to appear before the committee, not going could have serious impacts on Malta’s EU Presidency as Parliament might see that as Malta snubbing them, thus meaning they might stonewall other initiatives coming from Malta during its Presidency.
MEPs have also already indicated that Malta’s reputation has been damaged by this scandal. Politico recently reported that German MEP Sven Giegold said: “This is all very embarrassing. We will raise this whole mess in the [European Parliament’s special] Panama Papers committee. Malta has to get serious. It has to tidy up in order for the whole European financial infrastructure to gain credibility.”
The influential news source also quoted Ana Gomes, a Portuguese MEP and vice chair of the Parliament’s Panama Papers committee, who said Malta was in the committee’s crosshairs. “Malta is definitely a case for particular attention, not just because of allegations against the prime minister’s chief of staff and the minister, and this latest development with the Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit chief resigning, apparently because his recommendations were not followed, but also because Malta is already on our radar.”
Even Transparency International, one of those organisations that the Labour Party loved to quote when it was in opposition and when its perception surveys pummelled the government of the time, yesterday Tweeted: “Malta needs to clean up its corruption mess before it heads the Council of the EU next year!”
Malta is certainly in the crosshairs. And while the government may believe it has managed to avoid the true brunt of the Panama Papers scandal by burying its head in the sand as far as its Maltese opposition and population is concerned, such ploys will serve it no good whatsoever when it comes time to answer to the European Parliament.