We’ve all been glued to our desks, watching the latest developments in Labour’s Malta. But there’s this guy who missed that one last call to get his ass up and resign
Why is Scicluna still ‘governing’?
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On Wednesday morning, a court decreed it found enough ‘prima facie’ evidence for former finance minister and Central Bank governor Edward Scicluna, Chris Fearne, Ronald Mizzi and 12 co-defendants to stand trial.
Ronald Mizzi resigned from permanent secretary within the Economy Ministry by handing in his notice hours after the court ruling, saying he is “confident that facts will absolve him”. But he resigned.
Former health minister Chris Fearne announced that he will not seek re-election for Labour deputy leader when party elections come up in September. But he kind-of resigned from that role too now.
Central Bank governor Edward Scicluna, however, made my colleagues’ day yesterday, when he chose not to leave the court building for more than two hours after the sitting ended – instead of returning to his desk, governing the country’s monetary and financial stability.
Scicluna spent 138 extra minutes in the court building, talking to whoever would listen, apparently hoping that those bloody journalists outside will suffer heatstrokes or just leave instead of doorstepping him on his way out.
Spoiler: They didn’t go anywhere.
Instead, my fellow colleagues patiently waited in the heat, huddled beneath a tree, attentively watched by Scicluna’s driver who every now and then got very busy on his phone.
The scene took another absurd turn when some of them spontaneously waved at the driver, signalling they are well aware that they’re being watched and reported.
Scicluna eventually left the building at 12:38. No comment.
Later on Wednesday, Prime Minister Robert Abela was interpreted as indicating that Edward Scicluna should step down as Central Bank chief.
“The role of central bank governor is a sensitive one. I know Prof Edward Scicluna has a lot of integrity. I know how hard he worked for the country, and how he always put the national interest first”, Abela said in past tense.
“I think he is able to arrive to the right decision”, the prime minister added to his comments to the Times of Malta.
On Monday morning, the same newspaper published a WhatsApp group-chat message it claimed to be Scicluna’s “comments to Times of Malta” – including the governor’s mobile number.
You may send RESIGN to +356 9947 6776. Normal tariffs apply.
“I will abide by the EU treaties. We [the Central Bank] are an independent institution. We have our own rules”, Scicluna told a WhatsApp group audience.
“The EU rules are clear for every European governor. A governor is asked to resign only if found guilty of a crime. With all due respect, I will not give in to the pressure by Bernard Grech”, he said.
In its first version of the article, Times of Malta left unmentioned from which group chat the now-edited screenshot had been taken, and who the six individuals are who liked Scicluna’s statement.
It also gave the wrong impression that Scicluna made these comments on Thursday morning and exclusively to Times of Malta, while the presented group message from 20:32 [on Wednesday] indicates otherwise.
Only in an updated version, deputy editor Mario Xuereb clarified that Scicluna did not dissociate himself from that “WhatsApp message apparently sent from Edward Scicluna” in separate comments to the newspaper on Thursday morning.
Reporting about this case has become a full-time job for us on certain days. We are not getting paid for delivering this public service, but greatly appreciate your donation to NEWZ.mt using our Revolut payment page.
Please leave a reference to ‘Court Blog’, so we’re able to allocate the amount received to this project.
Cover Image includes Mr Burns from The Simpsons™
