Joseph Muscat broke his silence on Sunday and, in a Facebook post, gave his reaction after the arraignment of his friend and former chief of staff Keith Schembri on corruption and money laundering charges.

Only, he did not mention Schembri at all, nor the gravity of the accusations levelled against him, or the fact that bail had been denied and his former number two (or should we say number one) spent the night in jail.

Nor did he say anything about Adrian Hillman, whom he had appointed as the government’s representative on the board of the American University of Malta despite being the subject of a magisterial inquiry.

Nor did he say anything about the arraignment of Nexia BT duo Brian Tonna and Karl Cini, who were instrumental in setting up the Panama companies, including Egrant, and who were given numerous government consultancies and reportedly even had an office at Castille.

No, Muscat chose instead to point his finger at “people in the private sector” who had been accused of corruption, “particularly at Times of Malta.” Muscat also made sure to point out that the alleged case (the one involving Schembri and Hillman and the Times’ printing machine) had taken place “under a Nationalist administration.”

He also threw in a bit about the Egrant inquiry for good measure, saying how he will keep insisting that he will insist on justice for his family.

Muscat had no words to say about the fact that one of those allegedly involved in this ‘pre-2013 corruption’ was one of his closest friends – a person who helped him ascend to power and whom he had placed at the highest level of government. He had nothing to say about Daphne Caruana Galizia, who was the first one to expose this web of corruption at the top levels. He also failed to mention the second inquiry on which Saturday’s arraignments were based – the one that looked into alleged kickbacks from the dodgy passport scheme he as Prime Minister introduced. He certainly cannot blame the Nationalist Party for that one.

In his usual fashion, Muscat chose not to give interviews or comments to the media. He chose the safety of the social media, a controlled environment where he can say what he wants without the hassle of being asked real questions by those pesky journalists.

He did the same on Monday, when he reacted to the PN’s call for the Egrant inquiry to be revisited. Muscat again played the pity card, lashing out at those who he says falsified signatures and at the Nationalist Party for seeking “revenge” against him.

But he did not say anything about how the Panama Papers scandal took place under his watch, and how it involved people who were and still are very close to him, and who he continues to defend to this very day by omitting them from his Facebook posts.

Perhaps Muscat is saying the truth when he says he did not own Egrant, but that does not absolve him of the responsibility he has to carry for surrounding himself with people who went down like flies in scandal after scandal.

Muscat should face one reality, and one reality alone. No Facebook post will erase the corruption that took place under his watch. And no tearful statement about vendettas will restore Malta’s reputation.