Robert Abela, his goons and the Labour media insist on feeding lies and misinformation to their blindfolded followers. Labour is trying to brand her as a warmonger. Speaking at Siggiewi a few days ago the prime minister kept repeating his lies and accused ‘someone’ who is in favour of war and does not pursue Labour’s mission for peace. He was referring to Roberta Metsola of course. The faithful, following only One TV and read only l-Orizzont, do not know that while in Malta Robert seems like a lion, in Brussels he is a different kind of beast, more like a docile lamb.
Roberta Metsola, speaking on RTK 103 confirmed, and had records to show, that Robert Abela agreed and signed in favour of every vote relating to the increase in EU’s budget to strenghten Europe’s defence. She emphasised that he did not vote against, did not abstain but voted in favour. In Malta, playing at home, Robert Abela said that Metsola was encouraging conflict by suggesting on procuring more weapons. Ironically a few days before Roberta Metsola was awarded the Boniface VIII International Award for her efforts towards peace around the world. But Robert did not say that.
Gross falsity.
A couple of weeks ago we had another example of our premier’s deceiful stance. Selah Hajras is a Palestine girl of three who was seriously injured in Gaza. She was invited to Malta for medical treatment. She arrived in Malta accompanied by her father and was welcomed at the airport by Robert Abela and his wife Lydia. The media was there snapping photographs and filming the prime minister. Well, after all it was a photo opportunity and as we know he never misses one. “We will look after Selah with all our hearts” was his remark to the media. The little injured girl was also taken to Parliament where she was welcomed and even kissed by the Speaker of the House Anglu Farrugia.The prime minister announced that more children will be brought to Malta for health care. He will surely not go to welcome them. His stint at public relations was done.
Kusi Dismark, a native of Ghana who has been in Malta since 2011 was deported to Ghana after being detained for two weeks at Safi. Dismark, after attending MCAST, opened a barber shop in Hamrun and was hoping to expand his business in the future. Neighbours and friends described him as a hard-working man who had built a new life in Malta. “I’m scared and terrified. I have to start life again at 37” he told the media. Answering questions by reporters Robert Abela said that there are many others with the same story. The prime minister did not go to the airport to see Kusi off.
Robert Abela was also questioned about Loujin Ahmed Nasif, the four year old Syrian girl who died of thirst after spending days in Malta’s search and rescue zone. She died while being air-lifted on the way to a hospital in Crete. According to witnesses her last words were “Mother, I’m thirsty.” Loujin was part of a group of Syrian, Lebanese and Palestinian migrants on a fishing boat that left Lebanon at the end of August. The boat developed problems and distress calls were made before finally the migrants were flown to Crete. The Refugee Council claimed that it was Malta’s responsibility to organise the rescue of all persons in distress in its SAR zone, demanded an inquiry, which never happened.
The government of Malta is legally bound to offer adequate search and rescue services. But Malta continues to ignore distress calls and the Armed Forces of Malta decreased significantly rescues at sea flouting marine regulations to provide a satisfactory search and rescue service. Medicins Sans Frontiers recorded frequent cases where Malta failed in its responsibilities to give assistance to migrants at risk of drowning but was involved in quite a number of pushback actions thus violating maritime law. Defending his government’s inaction Robert Abela declared that it was not the responsibility of the Maltese authorities.
What gross falsehood.
The latest falsity of Robert Abela is the Jean Paul Sofia public inquiry. Robert Abela last year vehimently opposed the call for an independent public inquiry into the death of the youth at a construction site at Corradino. But Jean Paul’s mother, Isabelle, continued pressing and was joined by the civil society in her appeal. Robert Abela kept on insisting on the magesterial inquiry. For more than six months he and his trolls clogged the social media telling us what a bad idea a public inquiry was. The government even defeated in Parliament an Opposition motion calling for a public inquiry and amended the motion to one which said that no public inquiry was needed. However after the civil society took to the streets Robert Abela succumbed to the people’s will and the inquiry was held.
This week, after the publication of the inquiry, Robert Abela had the gall to tell us that he was always in favour. And he keeps saying this with a straight face.
What a canard.
Joe Azzopardi is a former official at the ministries of the environment, justice and home affairs and foreign affairs.