Yorgen Fenech continues to dominate the news on a daily basis.  On Thursday he was arraigned on charges related to the purchase of firearms and explosives on the dark web allegedly made in 2018.

It is a continuously unfolding exposure of where the real magic was happening for the many cronies of the Labour benches and in Castille who followed the cheese. 

It is no wonder that Joseph Muscat was becoming “annoyed” and felt the need to show himself and try to blow some smoke out of his wide nostrils.  Yorgen, Yorgen, Yorgen.  It’s all about Yorgen.  Yorgen did this and Yorgen did that.  Yorgen has this property and planned this escape and Yorgen’s mother is vouching that her son is not a Rambo.  Michelle Muscat must also be fuming at how Robert Abela has not shown enough appreciation at how she helped to get him elected.

The glory of the massive wins of Labour with Muscat as its leader seem to have been forgotten in the daily allegations of corruption scandals, reports, court cases, inquiries and allegiances involving Yorgen Fenech and his stable of admirers. 

Now, while Yorgen Fenech sits in at Corradino, his friends continue to speak of his charm.  Joseph Muscat, though, is eager to rewind his friendship with Keith Schembri and remind the staff that he was the one to bring in Keith, who then brought in Fenech who then took over the stable.  If anyone is going to have a cult status, then it should be him, Muscat, the King.  This, perhaps is the one reveal from his vapid interview.  He wants to be seen and to have some media coverage.  He does not say anything of importance.  No remorse or apologies.  No change in attitude towards his undoing. 

Labour get this better than the media who are like putty in Muscat’s hands.  There is no coverage of his interview on the party media.  The message is that the staff will continue to be faithful to the one who gave his political life for Keith.  Who didn’t receive an expensive gift from Fenech?  Who did not make a night of it from the roof-top nightclub at Portomaso?  Who didn’t find a road paved with “black”?  A drive in a fancy sports car and a promise of overseas trips to football games and other luxurious jaunts? 

Nobody from the stable wanted to believe that the invincible system of patronage was going to harm anyone and be associated with criminals, corruption and crimes which must be accounted for.  Fenech began to achieve cult status.

Muscat now finds himself between his role as protector and his narcissistic need for attention.  He cannot rid himself of the first without bringing down the real hero of his tenure as Prime Minister and losing the last bit of credibility that he has left to claim that he was not involved or knew about the unlawful events.

So, he will surface every now and again and throw a bit of a hissy.  Nothing much he can do, especially since he has forgotten so much and cannot recall and maybe he knew but maybe he didn’t. 

This situation strangely brings to mind the story of billionaire narcissist Robert Durst, New York real estate heir.   In a groundbreaking six-part documentary directed and produced by Andrew Jarecki and produced and shot by Marc Smerling (the Oscar nominees behind `Capturing the Friedmans'), the story delves into the strange history of real estate heir Robert Durst, long suspected in the still-unsolved 1982 disappearance of his wife as well as the subsequent murders of family friend Susan Berman and neighbour Morris Black. It features an extended, revealing interview with Durst himself, with whom Jarecki developed a unique relationship following the release of `All Good Things', Jarecki's 2010 feature about Durst's life starring Ryan Gosling and Kirsten Dunst. `The Jinx' results from nearly a decade of research by the filmmakers, who expose police files, key witnesses, never-before-seen footage, private prison recordings, and thousands of pages of formerly hidden documents.

The Jinx gained widespread exposure when Durst was arrested on first-degree murder charges for the death of his friend Susan Berman, the day before its finale aired.

Robert Abela may be the last surviving custodian of all things Muscat.  The rest have clung to a fantasy that gripped their imagination beyond anything they could have dreamt of.

This is the government that is responsible for the good of Malta and Gozo.  Apart from concrete and black roads, a slew of direct orders and defensive comments from the Minister of Finance, Clyde Caruana, we have little else. 

The orgy on land, with all the construction has now been exported to the sea so we can expect more of the ferry services coming to our local bays, yacht marinas and whatever else can be converted to direct orders and contracts.

Government appears paralysed whilst the many opportunists have a wide field in which to seize the day.  There is no clear intent to dismantle the mechanisms that gave us Konrad Mizzi, Keith Schembri, Joseph Muscat and the whole cabinet and advisors that sat at the table.  All remains easy and relaxed at Floriana Head Quarters.

With no meaningful alternative coming from Castille, there is little to distract from Fenech, who continues giving long after his end of season episode. 

That is what constitutes a balanced government for Labour.  That is the democracy they crave. 

Fenech is still expecting to be sprung from his current quarters.  The protector who can only make empty threats to come back and the minds behind the corrupt deals that continue to pump the machine idly sit in the gallery with their hands on their stomach.

The country winds slowly to another election.  The usual powers of incumbency will be utilized to the full along with selected use of the media being made, to drag the dis-honour out as long as they can without actually having to account for any of it.