Foreign Affairs Minister Evarist Bartolo said in a Facebook post that “we must not let criminal networks of informal and illegal powers take over this country. We must fight against them, because if we don’t, by virtue of law, they will remain and will only become stronger.” 

Minister Bartolo was making clear reference to the unfolding political and court saga, in which 11 people, including former Office of the Prime Minister Chief of Staff Keith Schembri, were arraigned in court in connection with two magisterial inquiries. 

He wrote that in every small country, it is relatively easy for personal and informal relationships to become even stronger than institutional ones.  

“These people work together as they see fit and if we do not fight against them, they will simply become stronger than the government the parliament, the courts and the police,” Bartolo added. 

He thanked all those within the institutions, in civil society and who form part of the media who are taking part in this fight but said that “it is a pity that this this is not a united front.” 

Bartolo expressed his belief that all those who love their country must unite together and fight against the criminal network that is present in Malta. 

He remarked that although people might not agree on certain things, when it comes to the fight against criminals, “we must unite because they are threatening the whole country.” 

Meanwhile, Bartolo was making reference to another Facebook post in which he stated that “we all need to do our part to build the country up on solid rock rather than on soft clay.” 

“Dishonesty, corruption and greediness for money is what will develop if the country is built on soft clay,” he said. 

Bartolo insisted that for this country to be built on solid rock, everyone has to do his part and join forces as a united country. 

He mentioned that major events such as independence and republic day, the closure of the military base, neutrality, the creation of a new economy, the entry of Malta into the European Union, the building of social services, education and health, all were a great dream with which we built our country on solid rock. 

This can all be lost if we do not put a stop to those hidden webs of informal and illegal power, he said. 

Bartolo added that “the shell of a sovereign state is in the hands of an elected government and national institutions, but the soul of this country seems to be in the hands of criminal networks.”