The Gospel according to Edgar

Edgar Galea Curmi has been described as a decent guy. 

Well, of course the definition of ‘decent’ is a subjective one, and was coined by someone whose understanding of decency is as alien as one’s understanding of the principles that govern respect for other people’s views and actions.

Galea Curmi has libelled me after I stated that he wished to give me information about Harry Vassallo’s VAT case, a case which was later leaked to the ‘friendly’ press and ‘ugly’ media.

It was a case which was purposely timed to create as much damage as is possible to the Greens. In this kind of warfare, the Nationalists are specialists.  

But this is the first time they have an English speaking medium which does not suck up to them.

Vassallo’s crime was linked to not having filled up a VAT return in a company for which he was director. The crime for that was imprisonment. The rest was left to the bile machine and merchants of hate.

Just for those who cannot remember, Vassallo was threatened with an arrest warrant three days prior to the election.

Secretary General Joe Saliba unbelievably said this was a frame up against the Nationalist party. 

Can you believe it?

Well if you know Joe, then yes.

And Net TV was informed before the Commissioner of Police.

And the Police Commissioner declared complete ignorance.

Plus ca change.

And of course the VAT department denied any involvement.

On that fateful day, Galea Curmi also wished me to make use of confidential medical details about a particular person, who had traded a war of words against the PN in the 2008 electoral campaign.  By using this information there is little doubt in my mind that his credibility would have been dented forever.

Needless to say, insinuations about his medical health were left to the usual hateful bloggers.

I refused to use any of this information in any of my articles or news stories.

They will do absolutely anything to stay in power. And by ‘anything’, I really mean anything.

Galea Curmi visited my home in Naxxar some time before 6 March, and he has admitted to this.  He has said that he visited me for personal reasons. That is a complete lie. He visited me for political reasons, and nothing more. The family members who were present will attest to this.

Galea Curmi has never been a family friend and in that particular moment – which I will not share on this column – visits to my home were restricted to those who were very close to my late wife. He was not even remotely distant, let alone close.

All this leads me to ask a few questions to Mr Galea Curmi which may help us to understand the thinking processes in the political mind of the personal assistant to the Prime Minister.

Has EGC ever attempted over the years to influence newspaper editors and journalists?

Editors of other newspapers have spoken to me of the number of times the office of the Prime Minister complains about certain stories. Has he been one of them?

Has EGC ever complained about the writings in The Times of Kurt Sansone, Chris Peregrin and before that, of Mark Micallef?

Has EGC ever had telephone conversations with the directors of Allied Newspapers Ltd and the editors and journalists of the Times, The Independent and others?

Has EGC ever had telephone conversations with the Head of News at PBS?

Has EGC ever had telephone conversations with other opinion makers and TV hosts?

Has EGC ever participated in unofficial and unpublicised briefing meetings with a selected group of journalists and media people?

Has EGC ever communicated to the Commissioner of Police over matters which are purely related to criminal or police cases?

Has EGC ever communicated with other members of the police force?

Has EGC ever made contact with the security service head?

Has EGC ever spoken to the Chairman and CEO of MEPA or other members on the MEPA board?

Has EGC ever discussed applications with MEPA officials?

Has EGC ever discussed contracts with any Ministers or ministerial officials?

Has EGC ever been involved in discussions with the Contracts committee?

Has EGC ever spoken to the Attorney General?

Has EGC ever spoken to the Chief Justice or the ombudsman?

What meetings has EGC held with individuals from Where’s Everybody?

There is obviously no end to the questions I can put to EGC.

EGC is obviously unaware where his lines of engagement start or end. Or does he know they exist at all?

From what I hear from Castille, EGC is in a permanent state of siege. He thinks that the real opposition is MaltaToday, not the Labour Party. 

Are we to blame if the Labour Party does not do its homework?

I’m sure he thinks that we wake up every morning with a wish list against the Office of the Prime Minister.

He obviously refuses to highlight the fact that most of the time, it is the OPM itself that is shooting itself in the foot. 

Not one day passes without another gaffe, ill-thought decision or boomerang.

Instead of finding ways of briefing the press, Galea Curmi is constantly defending the indefensible. Embracing the most unacceptable forms of spin and relegating any forms of criticism to the gutter.

But in his haste to defend his position, he started off by using the department of information to announce that he instituted libel proceedings. 

When the DOI fails to act, we have the unofficial DOI, the DOBAH – Department of Bile and Hate.

By using the DOI, he made a mistake which betrayed his lack of appreciation of our judicial system. It is the person as an individual who can institute a criminal procedure, not the body.

The DOI cannot wage Galea Curmi’s legal battles.  

He is, now, technically alone.

Galea Curmi will have to fight this one alone. And this time, unlike 2008 when I was down and under and trying to understand the purpose of life, this time round I am rearing to go.  Ready for a fight, like never before.

Ready to confront the arrogance of someone who thinks that he can erase my memory as if I had invented it for my own petty conveniences. I am willing to challenge a man who has yet to appreciate the role of an independent press and the role of the fourth estate in a democracy – the media.  

Lack of appreciation of a nonconformist who believes that the political class as a whole should be questioned and quizzed irrespective of the battles lines and battle plans of each and every party.

Yet, to understand that I am no one’s master and no one’s voice, and that when it comes to the crunch, I embrace the truth as much as Edgar Galea Curmi embraces the seat of power he was been entrusted with and which I believe has been seriously compromised.

Until then!

This article appeared in MaltaToday's Wednesday edition