The sordid stories revolving around Keith Schembri’s involvement with Yorgen Fenech’s 17 Black and energy procurement are a mere reminder that the Maltese political system is drowning in same dirty money that finances it. At the same time, Schembri is not simply an “allegedly corrupt” high-ranking government official, but an artifice and kingpin of a dishonest system, craftily built by the business elite for the benefit of the business elite.
We reiterate our stance that Keith Schembri should have resigned long ago – precisely, 1322 days ago, when news of his secret offshore accounts broke. However, despite numerous calls for his resignation from various quarters, Schembri has stayed on; not merely because of his political clout, but because he is critical to the system he helped build and maintain, through which the business class has established a stranglehold on all areas of Maltese society by bankrolling the political sphere and subjecting it to its ownership.
It is no surprise to see how economic deregulation has led to the present situation: a free-for-all in planning; slavery and abuse of workers in various sectors especially construction; weak enforcement in financial services; the very visible spectre of money laundering and dirty money entering our economy; undeterred fuel smuggling along our coast; all this, while policies and laws are constantly being written with the only intention of protecting business interests, not citizens.
Political subservience to business interests is not new here in Malta; operators like Keith Schembri are among those acting behind the scenes to shift the business community’s political loyalty, further deepening a well-established web of nepotism, favouritism and corruption. In this regard, many a Labour supporter will find himself asking legit questions about their party’s links with people such as Joseph Portelli, the dB Group, the Gasan Group, the Tumas Group, the Zammit Tabona family, the Corinthia Group, high-ranking officials of the Malta Developers Association, and countless others who have so much power over the Labour Party as to dictate public policy.
We believe that there is no political will from either political party and their un/official affiliates to really change the system to prevent further Keith Schembris from springing up, or to put an end to the toxic vortex of dirty money that bankrolls politicians and steamrolls all over citizens. Keith Schembri’s resignation and interrogation would be a first step, but definitely not the conclusion of this horrible chapter of our history.
______________________________________________________________________
Keith Schembri: l-Ikbar Simbolu ta’ Sistema Mnawra
L-istejjer ta’ ħmieġ marbuta mal-involviment ta’ Keith Schembri mal-kumpanija 17 Black ta’ Yorgen Fenech u l-akkwist pubbliku tal-enerġija huma tifkira li s-sistema politika Maltija qed tegħreq fil-flus maħmuġin li jiffinanzjawha. Sadanittant, Keith Schembri mhuwiex biss uffiċjal tal-gvern “allegatament korrott”, iżda artefiċi u punt ewlieni ta’ sistema diżonesta li nbniet fin fin mill-elit tan-negozjanti għall-benefiċċju tal-elit tan-negozjanti.
Intennu, kif għamilna diġà fil-passat, li Keith Schembri messu ilu li rriżenja – biex inkunu preċiżi, 1,322 jum ilu, meta ħarġet l-aħbar dwar il-kontijiet offshore tiegħu. Madankollu, minkejja bosta sejħiet għal riżenja minn bosta kwartieri, Schembri baqa’ f’postu; mhux biss minħabba l-qawwa politika tiegħu, iżda anke għax huwa kruċjali għal sistema li għen fil-bini tagħha, u li għadu jmantni, u li permezz tagħha l-klassi tan-negozjanti stabilixxiet il-kontroll fuq l-oqsma kollha tas-soċjetà Maltija billi ffinanzjat il-klassi politika u xtratha.
M’aħniex sorpriżi li d-deregulazzjoni ekonomika wasslitna għas-sitwazzjoni attwali: libertinaġġ assolut fl-ippjanar; skjavitù u abbuż tal-ħaddiema f’bosta oqsma speċjalment fil-kostruzzjoni; infurzar ineżistenti fis-servizzi finanzjarji; l-ispettru, viżibbli ħafna, tal-ħasil tal-flus u l-flus maħmuġin li qed jidħlu fl-ekonomija tagħna; il-kuntrabandu bla xkiel tal-fjuwil madwar il-kosta tagħna; dan, filwaqt li l-policies u l-liġijiet qiegħdin jinkitbu biss bl-intenzjoni li jiġu protetti l-interessi kummerċjali, u mhux iċ-ċittadini.
Is-serviliżmu politiku għall-interessi kummerċjali mhuwiex fenomenu ġdid f’pajjiżna; nies bħal Keith Schembri huma fost dawk li jaħdmu minn wara l-kwinti sabiex il-lobby tan-negozjanti tbiddel il-lealtajiet politiċi tagħha, sabiex tkompli tikber ix-xirka ta’ nepotiżmu, favoritiżmu u korruzzjoni li ilha stabbilita żmien twil. F’dan ir-rigward, nifhmu lil ħafna partitarji Laburisti li ġustament jistaqsu ruħhom dwar ir-rabtiet tal-Partit ma’ persuni bħal Joseph Portelli, id-dB Group, il-Gasan Group, it-Tumas Group, il-familja Zammit Tabona, il-Corinthia Group, uffiċjali ewlenin fil-Malta Developers Association, u għexieren oħra li tant għandhom saħħa fuq il-partit li jistgħu jiddettaw il-politika nazzjonali.
Nemmnu li ma hemm ebda rieda politika mill-partiti politiċi u lanqas mill-organizzazzjonijiet affiljati magħhom, uffiċjalment u mhux, sabiex tinbidel tassew is-sistema u ma jibqgħux ifaqqsu persunaġġi oħra bħal Keith Schembri, jew billi jitwaqqaf il-kurrent tossiku ta’ flus maħmuġin li jiffinanzja lill-politiċi u jirrombla fuq iċ-ċittadini. Ir-riżenja u l-interrogazzjoni ta’ Keith Schembri huma biss pass bikri, iżda mhux it-tmiem, ta’ dan il-kapitlu orribbli tal-istorja tagħna.
