The publication of the Transparency International Report earlier this week has revealed that Malta's rating has continued to drop to a record low, ADPD- The Greens Party said Saturday  This confirms what we have known for a long while, mainly that corruption in Malta has reached levels that we have not witnessed before. 

Corruption has been allowed to grow like a cancer and has now become something that we have got used to.  Corruption has become normalised, ADPD said.

Greens' Chairperson Sandra Gauci referred to Bill 125 as confirmation of the government's desire to put in more obstacles in the quest for justice and transparency.  This is a nail in the coffin of Malta's rule of law.  If this passes through, citizens will have lost an important tool to fight corruption.  In fact, this proposal will discourage anyone who has asked for a magisterial inquiry.  Keep in mind that if it hadn't been for the magisterial inquiries initiated by NGOs and private citizens, we would have never learnt about the Vitals scandal to give an example.  With the government so keen to have this law in place, it makes one wonder how many more scandals are waiting to be discovered.

Instead of a government which does not fear scrutiny and taking responsibility for its actions, we have a government that comes up with different ways to hide what is happening under the radar.  But it is now becoming clear that there is a group of people who are considered as above the law, and are doing everything to ensure that the law protects them. 

If this law passes, it will be a clear abuse of power and nothing more, because it will give those in government the power to steal from the people without any qualms.  With a Police Commissioner and Attorney General who have no interest in working against corruption, this will be the final nail in the coffin.

ADPD-The Green Party guarantees that once we are in Parliament, we shall not only fight these things but also propose ways of putting those in government under scrutiny.   Accountability and transparency are the foundations of a democratic state.  It is accountability and transparency that reassure all citizens that they are being governed by politicians who have their interests at heart, and not the interests of the few. 

Transparency and accountability should be the foundations upon which the country should be governed,  and we will work to ensure that this occurs, concluded Gauci.