People have nick names in Malta and Gozo. Many are often known more by their nick name than their Christian name and surname. The name can be attributed to their job or trade, their family, their roots, where they hail from and other sources.

In the case of the various hit-men now appearing in court and mentioned associates or third party names, we have a wide variety. IlKoħħu, iċ-Ċiniż, Tal-Maksar are some of the names. Perhaps most unfortunately named is Toni l-iblah [referring to Chris Cardona's driver]. But ex-Prime Minister Joseph Muscat also appears to have earned himself the nick-name ix-Xiħ and Former Deputy Police Commissioner Silvio Valletta became known as lOħxon.

It goes on. In another case, another name may be assigned to a prominent person to divert attention and accountability from them, facilitating their way to join the house party.

Amongst Malta's underworld and criminal organisations, nicknames are bread and butter. Your name is your passport and your business and trade is well known. Probably or should be, even to the Police. It should, in fact, not be too difficult to begin investigations into crimes, especially when these have the stamp of organized crime or gang wars. A good investigative journalist will also have a list of names s/he is familiar with.

How telling is it that the highest officials at Castille, many of them now ex officials, had a very cosy relationship with the underworld personalities and needed to be identified with their own nick names or initials? Phone messages exchanged between an indicted person and members of the Cabinet or between top CEOs and same indicted persons reveal that our country has become more of a den of thieves than a public entity.

Around these same officials, there were the Persons of Trust, or gate-keepers and middle men. Never has the civil service or public service been so populated by persons of trust. A whole separate race was conceived. People came not from Malta but from the Kingdom of Castille. Best we do not refer to them as Castillians in case they are confused with Castile y Leon in Northern Spain. We can just call them ta' Ġewwa.

The episode that took place at Castille in December where the journalists were kept locked in the room and prohibited from leaving, confirms that power and authority in the auberge' falls under a regiment of its own.

This system spawned a liberal mentality that had no boundaries. Politics was now controlled by the key players, all functioning in a fictitious world that only became more and more detached from reality by the day.

Gifts became currency. Decisions were left to public opinion properly controlled by the moguls at the media information channel. Truths became twisted and discredited. Standards of office were completely wiped out. A new system, one of private banks and offshore accounts came into being, so much so that Keith Schembri had no confidence in using our own Banks and also Konrad Mizzi felt the need to use financial services from Panama and New Zealand.

And beneath the glamorous exterior, the direct appointments in high-ranking jobs freely copied the text and rose to whatever occasion they found laid out before them. To keep the working classes thinking about their own affairs and not bothered by the scandals coming from the other class, the country was kept busy with tourism and construction.

Now that tourism has fallen through the bottom and exposed the reality of how many people earn a living and more in Malta and Gozo directly or indirectly through that industry, the towers above are crumbling.

Prime Minister Robert Abela thinks that Samson is safe in the pit. All the while, Samson's secret strength is coming back as his hair grows again. Even though made blind, believed to be totally weakened to the extent that he is no longer a threat, he is brought up from the pit where he had been held. During a public event, he pushes with all his new found strength against the pillars of the Philistine temple and the whole edifice crumbles. Robert Abela would do well not to throw Repubblika, the fourth pillar of the media and ordinary activists into the dungeon below. He never knows when they will bring the whole temple down around him.

Much of the temple is already in ruins. Its inhabitants have fled or been banished. Abela is now left with the impossible task of covering up for his court. Not something that a leader should normally be doing but in a world where the web of power and trickery became so bold and radicalized, the job of continuity has become synonymous with defending the indefensible.

Outside his realm of lies and scandals, a place of deals and dirty money, business and politics, clubs and luxury boats, the people are left to their own devices. Those with the right connections still holding strong are managing to grab all the land and property they can and build like there was no limit or policy ever put in place to protect our heritage and land. The small entrepreneurs, the law-abiding bars and restaurants are sent to battle on their own. Front-liners are right there in the front with a fullon assault against them. The elderly, vulnerable and children are easily discounted in the greater picture that is the economy. The pandemic is ravaging life as we know it but nothing really has changed for those who knew life under Labour. Impunity there was and impunity there is. One Police Commissioner after another.

Any of the last 5 Police Commissioners we have had since 2013 should be very familiar with all the nick-names and what their area of expertise is. Following up on leads and suspects should quickly reach a conclusion, enough to bring in people for questioning and then get the proof they need.

Otherwise, a visit to the most popular address in St Julian's could bring down a house of cards.

Let us stop pretending that it is business as usual in Malta. That would be terrible because the usual business is closer to a criminal organisation than it is to a chamber of commerce. Even the nick-named gangs can testify to that. That is the reality right now.