Monitoring the monitors

Note from the editor: This is Michael Falzon's last contribution before his untimely demise. MaltaToday is publishing it as a sign of respect to a man who every week from his column provided timely insights into current affairs, helping readers understand the political landscape and how politicians think. Michael's contributions will be sorely missed.

The other weekend, The Sunday Times of Malta carried a report about ‘Gozo’s network of illegal surveillance’ that is allegedly monitoring the activities of the Malta Ranger Unit to tackle illegal practices.

For me, this is not a surprise. It would have been a surprise if official monitoring activities in Gozo were not subject to an informal monitoring system that acts ‘as an early warning system’ for those who could be liable of being caught in the act of what are being described as ‘environmental crimes’.

The idea that an official monitoring system is subject to an informal and unofficial monitoring system is not something exclusive to Gozo. It exists all over the world wherever small societies are monitored for breaches of the law. Gozo is a small society living on a small island and so is the perfect place for this ‘monitoring of monitors’ to take place.

This sort of monitoring existed even before the advent of mobile phones. I remember a now deceased Director of Works saying that as soon as he decides to visit the sister island, the department people in Gozo would know about this decision, making a surprise visit practically impossible.

The ship’s radio on the ferry would serve to alarm the Gozitans of anyone visiting Gozo. The ferry captain was normally a Gozitan by birth or by adoption and ‘naturally’ allowed this use of the ship’s radio.

Once, when the late George Bonello Du Puis was finance minister, he decided to organise a surprise visit by inspectors from the tax department to check whether Gozitan restaurants were following their obligation to charge a service tax that preceded the VAT system.

The tax officials were sent to Gozo for the planned surpise inspections on an AFM vessel about which no Gozitan had any information. They duly landed in Marsalforn where they proceeded to visit the first restaurant on the list. By the time this first ‘successful’ inspection was over, all other restaurants in Gozo were closed! The expense of this visit was far more than the tax retrieved, of course.

With today’s means of communications – especially mobile phones – monitoring the monitors is easier and more efficient.

Organising monitoring systems with the intent to help others evade being caught breaking the law is not an original Gozitan way of doing things. It happens wherever it is possible, more so in a small society such as Gozo. This includes activities that could fall into the realm of corruption, obstruction of justice, or illegal activity, depending on the actions involved.

When people organise monitoring systems to warn others about investigations or inspections in a way that helps them evade detection of some illegal activity, such as tipping off people about an impending police raid or environmental inspections, their actions would be tantamount to obstruction of justice – at least technically.

Intentionally hindering or preventing law enforcement or regulatory authorities from performing their duties is illegal. Warning individuals about upcoming raids or monitoring the presence of regulatory inspectors to help people from being caught is, of course, tantamount to aiding and abetting illegal activity, which can result in criminal charges.

When the cost of monitoring breaches of the law becomes prohibitive, it leads to several significant challenges and consequences, including making it easier for unlawful activities to go unnoticed. Prohibitive costs for monitoring breaches of the law can create a gap in enforcement, leading to increased noncompliance, inequality, and inefficiencies, while also driving innovation or policy changes in monitoring methods.

This is actually the situation that the Malta Ranger Unit is facing. They will never win the ‘war’, but their efforts are commendable and have to be appreciated.

Big cats for neighbours

On New Year’s Eve, I discovered that I had some feline ‘neighbours’ that I did not know about!

Four lions and a leopard were found to be living in poor conditions in a Naxxar property, according to animal rights group Vuċi għall-Annimali. People from the Environmental Resources Authority (ERA), the Veterinary Regulations Department (VRD), and the police visited the site, but unfortunately, these big cats have to remain on the property as the VRD does not have the resources to take them into their custody. But no one should worry as the police will keep supervising these animals!

This nonsense of people illegally owning big cats, some of whom subsequently realising they cannot afford to keep them for a long time, goes on.

Moreover, this story shows that the authorities are practically helpless when faced with such situations.

I have been one of the few voices that have complained about such animals being kept by individuals with impunity. The owners of the cats are usually rich people, apparently flaunting their undeclared money by owning big cats. This is dangerous territory and the government is not doing enough about this problem, apparently because some big cat owners are also supporters of the party in government.

Meanwhile, we keep continually discovering more big cats owned by fat cats...

The great escape!

Four men jumped out of a plane that had just made an emergency landing at Malta International Airport on New Year’s Day, leading to a police and Armed Forces of Malta manhunt.

Two of the men were subsequently arrested while two remained on the run. The incident occurred when a Turkish Airlines flight heading to Morocco requested permission to land in Malta as a passenger was feeling unwell.

Shortly after the plane landed and while crews were working to retrieve the sick passenger’s suitcase, four other passengers made a quick getaway from the plane’s rear door.

The Police and the Armed Force of Malta were both alerted and a manhunt got under way.

The man who reported feeling ill, a Moroccan national, was taken to Mater Dei Hospital. The Turkish Airlines flight then continued its journey to Morocco.

Was this escape planned with the Moroccan who felt sick being part of the plot?

Anyway, this story puts the security around the airport in an incredibly insecure perspective. It certainly does not reflect well on the security system in the airfield. How on earth can four men escape from a plane in such a manner?

This should worry the authorities that, on their part, should seek to investigate the lack of security in the only international airport that serves this neutral island!