Stewardgate: The cabal behind the Fearne smear campaign

It has only got worse, and I am just wondering why the Nationalist Opposition is so mum about the whole episode.

The new chapter continues to fuel the narrative of a devious and corrupt political structure in Joseph Muscat’s administration. Last week, documents obtained by the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, revealed how the US company Steward headed by its chief executive Armin Ernst contracted CT Group, a notorious London-based private intelligence firm, to disseminate false news stories accusing Chris Fearne, the then health minister, of accepting bribes. 

This fake news appeared in several obscure Pakistani news portals and a Ukrainian news outlet. The claims alleged that Fearne's chief of staff, Carmen Ciantar, received thousands in payments as a bribe linked to the issuance of a Maltese passport to a Russian person. It was all fabricated. 

But it gets worse when we learn that the man behind CT group is Lynton Crosby. I recall his name coming up as someone very close to Joseph Muscat and Keith Schembri. Crosby is an Australian political strategist who has managed election campaigns for right wing political parties in several countries. Crosby has been described as a "master of the dark political arts". 

CT Group, which is primarily known for its lobbying and election campaign work were recently facing the courts in the UK for unlawful activities. The company was co-founded in 2002 and Crosby was knighted for his role in David Cameron’s Conservative 2015 election victory. Cameron, the bright guy who sealed the UK’s exit from the EU, was until a few days ago foreign secretary for Rishi Sunak’s government. 

As executive chair at the company, Crosby has been accused in the Bourlakov case at the High Court in London. The allegations against him are that he forged banking transaction records, according to The Financial Times. 

We also learn that the campaign to smear Chris Fearne and Carmen Ciantar was funded by Maltese taxpayers’ money – namely, the funds passed on to Steward Health Care to be spent on three Maltese hospitals gifted to them. 

We also know that Crosby met Joseph Muscat several times over a six-year period at Castille, the last meeting taking place some weeks before his decision to resign. And we now know that Muscat was more than very close to Steward when prime minister and after his fall from grace. 

Those who are still loyal to Muscat insist with me that I should point my fingers at Keith Schembri. To be honest, I cannot see the difference between the two. I cannot believe that one man did not know what the other was doing. 

In this newspaper, Muscat (see front page), the former prime minister, attempts to shed a tear for Chris Fearne and Carmen Ciantar drawing comparisons with the ‘calvary’ he lived when allegations were made about him in the Egrant scandal. As one of the only few journalists at the time to have stood steadfastly by Muscat in the Egrant affair, I find his line of defence not only pathetic but pointless. 

Today, everyone, including myself, believes that Egrant was a true story that could not be proved. I am sure that Muscat did not have noble motives. I have no doubt in my mind that the only reason that no action was taken against Konrad Mizzi and Keith Schembri in 2016 about the Panama Papers scandal emerged was because Muscat was fully aware of their devious plans - to set up companies to siphon off kickbacks and their excuses for setting up companies for other motives was simply one big lie.   

The fact that they can remain composed and look you straight in the eyes and lie through their teeth changes nothing. 

I have only myself to blame for believing them. I believed so much in Muscat that I could not believe he could stoop so low. And I say this because unlike all those that gloat and assert – I told you so – I was not born with a genetic predisposition to equate everything Labour as evil.  In my defence, at least, I can always boast that I have been consistent about speaking out against corruption whether it was rooted in Labour or Nationalist in my 40 years of journalism. Not everyone can say the same. 

Muscat was not only close to Steward and indirectly on their payroll, he was crucial in installing the great train robbery known as Vitals to Malta and replacing them with Steward. Significantly, when he left Castille in 2020, Muscat kept a line of communication with Steward and unabashedly continued to serve as a bridge between the American company and the government now led by Robert Abela. 

It was around this time that Steward approached MediaToday to purchase the company. I had a nagging feeling that behind Armin Ernst’s media takeover attempt there was the hidden hand of Muscat. 

The smear campaign against Chris Fearne is reported to have cost Steward €6.5 million and was financed by Maltese taxpayers’ money. 

During Muscat’s time as PM, various stories against Fearne were leaked from Castille - I know. This is why I will not be surprised if the smear campaign against Fearne last year was enabled by the same cabal that occupied Castille after 2013. 

This is not only bad news but truly a red alert for Robert Abela and a signal that should lead him to publicly detach himself once and for all from Muscat. It is high time senior Labour politicians follow suit. 

I said it last time, and I will say it again, failure to confront these demons from the past will mean one simple thing: A mind-blowing ‘sobering’ beating at the next general election.