Insta-politics: Muscats trade in sobriety with wine and Chanel pose

An Instagram shot of Joseph Muscat and his wife Michelle at the Ta’ Betta Winery on the day of the clamorous court judgement ordering the rescission of the controversial Steward deal, raised the dander of anti-corruption activists Repubblika.

The Muscats, who have 50,000 Instagram followers combined, posed with a case of wine in a photo captioned “Great hosts at @ta_betta_winery”.

Hosted they were – as guests of a third party – but their namedropping of Ta’ Betta, whose owner Juanito Camilleri is a participant of the monthly Daphne vigils, gave critics much to gnaw at.

Mouths dropped at Michelle Muscat’s vintage Chanel flapbag, flaunted on social media on a day where sobriety seemed to be the better tone: it was the day Malta was taken aback by a judge’s decision in which fraud was alleged in the Vitals privatisation deal the former prime minister signed on. The court order also means Malta could foot a €100 million penalty, which Labour ministers today say was negotiated by Muscat and former minister Konrad Mizzi behind their backs.

Camilleri, a former University of Malta rector who attends vigils in memory of Daphne Caruana Galizia, told Lovin Malta it was untrue that his winery had ‘hosted’ the Muscats, ostensibly the guests at a private event.

Repubblika activists were incensed at the Muscat’s mediatic nonchalance, with Alessandra Crespo claiming the former Labour leader had “set up” the winery by tagging their name. “The owners didn’t know that these two contemptible people were part of a group that had booked their venue for an event. The owners of the winery are avid supporters of the cause for justice from the start. They attend our vigils and protests. They even hosted Maria Falcone free of charge when she was here in October... Typical Muscat. Snide and destructive,” Crespo said.

Both Repubblika president Robert Aquilina, and Corinne Vella, sister to Daphne Caruana Galizia, posted on Facebook an homage to Ta’ Betta, who had hosted Prof. Falcone and others from the Fondazione Falcone of Sicily, the anti-corruption group set up in memory of anti-mafia magistrate and victim, Giovanni Falcone. “The owners of Ta’ Betta Wine Estates really are great hosts,” Vella said. “They’re welcoming and polite to everyone who visits – including to guests invited by clients who organise events at the venue.”

Even independent candidate Arnold Cassola joined the fray, saying the Muscats’ photo misrepresented the owners. “Why does Joseph Muscat have to misrepresent facts by stating that he was hosted by Ta’ Betta’s... when he was not? And why does Michelle have to flaunt her new 4,000 dollar handbag in an ‘Arawni, hi’ manner?”

Thousands responded to the Nationalist Party’s call to gather outside parliament in Valletta following Friday’s court decision to annul the Steward contract. Protestors voiced their anger at government over the fraudulent Steward hospitals deal at the end of an urgent parliamentary debate on Monday.