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‘Hypocritical’ Bondì gets Labour’s goat, Camilleri eyes Libyan reconstruction
Labour organ KullHadd paints scathing but revealing picture of how media lauded Libya and Gaddafi before he turned against his people.
28 March 2011, 12:00am
Matthew Vella
Matthew Vella
2 min read
A page 3 news article entitled 'L-ipokresija ta' Bondì' (Bondi's hypocrisy) on Labour organ Kullhadd, and today's l-orizzont (which is published by the General Workers Union) paints a scathing picture of Where's Everybody director and TV presenter Lou Bondì.
According to Kullhadd, Bondì had "hit out" at the former Labour candidate Joe Sammut, for having handled financial transactions on behalf of the Gaddafi family for a St Barts party in which US superstar Beyoncé performed. The performance was for an exclusive crowd on New Year's Eve, and was paid by Hannibal Gaddafi, reported the New York Post.
And on Monday, l-orizzont reported that a business partner of Bondì's - Silvio Scerri, the owner of Nexos Lighting - was responsible for the lighting arrangements during the celebrations commemorating the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya's 40th anniversary of its revolution back in September 2009.
Central to Kullhadd's story was the fact that before the Libyan implosion, Lou Bondì had used an entire edition of his TVM show Bondiplus in June 2009, to showcase entrepreneur Alfred Pisani's Corinthia Group and its Libyan endeavours.
"One of the main Corinthia investments showcased was the Palm City village, just 14km from Tripoli... which was described as a 'heaven on earth'. At no point did Bondifurcina's presenter question Pisani on his connections with the Gaddafi government, which go back to 1974. No reference was made to the regime's repression but on the contrary, it was presented as a tourism destination."
Labour today also hit out at the ‘hypocrisy’ of Malta Enterprise chairman Alan Camilleri, who spoke of the big reconstruction opportunities awaiting Maltese firms once “the Libyan crisis subsides”.
“Gonzi’s party and his former private secretary, Alan Camilleri, are zealous that Maltese firms win reconstruction contracts in Libya after the fighting is over, a zeal instigated by a difficult situation the Libyans are facing,” Labour said in a press statement today.
Attacking the PN’s ‘hypocrisy’, Labour has tried to take mileage from Camilleri’s opportunism after Labour leader Joseph Muscat publicly suggested “taking advantage” from the Egyptian and Tunisian uprisings in January, by attracting tourists to Malta instead, a suggestion that was criticised by the PN and the media.
What Kullhadd omitted to say in its Sunday piece was that Bondì's partner Silvio Scerri, is also the Labour party's consultant at One TV, whose involvement has already solved several technical problems and improved One’s picture quality.
But the piece does highlight the way Gaddafi's disrespect of human rights was ignored by government and media alike while everyone worshipped the dictator on the altar of business and money. And much like Alfred Pisani, Joe Sammut pursued an honest financial transaction on behalf of his clients - who were not LAFICO, but the Gaddafi family. Which is about almost the same thing.
Matthew Vella, a freelance journalist at MaltaToday, was formerly executive editor at Malt...
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Bizilla kollox mahdum ezatt hadd ma jitlef xejn u il ftit igawdu dejjem hekk kienet l istorja. Imma l aktar li idejjaqni hi li il knisja ma toqghodx attenta u twarrab minn certu sitwazzjoniet imma tkompli taffeg
Joseph Catania •
Jien ma nabqel xejn mal-filosofija ta' Lowell, izda fost il-hmerijiet kollha li qal hemm wahda li hi pjuttost minnha... zewg partiti lesbici. L-istess pezza ta' politikanti medjokri u dilettanteski...
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Sorry, Antoine, for not replying before. Me a chicken? I can't stop laughing. Just because I called you a skunk you have to come back calling names using another creature.
Well, a chick is always better than a skunk. Hudha ma saqajk, skunk.
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@Anpoine Vella
I did not understand what exactly you are talking about.
But when it comes to counting the chickens does this include the many who came from Europe in the last election? And Air Malta was made to absorb the cost running in thousand of euro.
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Of course there is a reason! Many reasons in fact but mainly because they haven't changed from the bad old days of the Mintoff regime.
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I never reckoned that my party will win the next election but, as I told one of your friends, when you count your chickens, don't forget to add yourself even though you'll have to come over from Canada to vote.
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You are always picking on Labourites, Antoine Vella. There must be a reason. Are you still reckoning GonziPN will win the next elections?
Dream on.
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@Antoine Vella.
Listen I am no fan of Gaddafi at all!. I fell out of love with the Colonel many years ago. It was when he sent his gun boat against us when we tried to drill for oil. That was in Mintoff's time when excellent relationships were supposed to exist. I have been saying this all along. Years later both EFA and Gonzi went to lick his arse.
Your assertion that most Mintoffiani are Gaddafi sympathisers is, I am afraid, your own conclusion which is not backed by hard facts!
To honest I don't know what is the reason you are talking about! Unless, of course, you are talking about some imaginary conspiracy theory! But then again there were other dignitaries in the PN camp who may have been mentioned in this conspiracy.
Time will tell then!
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From where did you draw this conclusion Mr.Know It All Antoine.
By the way who supported Franco and Mussolini in the past?
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Alchemist, time will tell. There is no doubt, however, that most Gaddafi sympathisers are Mintoffjani while most Nationalists heartily despise the dictator.
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There must be a reason.
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@Antoine Vella
I don't know if Bondi ( + or -) flew in a private plain or not. I wouldn't be surprised though. If my memories services me right it was Tonio Fench who some time ago flew in a private plane to see a football match and 'discuss some 'other business'
Everyone knows Nexos they are professionals but then everyone knows where their hearts really beats!
What dealing would the Labour party have with the Dictator? Remember that it was your beloved PN that has been in power the last 25 years. It is difficult to keep track of how many time Eddie Fenech Adami and Gonzi went to lick arse during these times. Dr Gonzi was in fact the last western dignitary to lick him. This will go down in the annals of history forever, Get this in your head.
The late Dr G Demarco was also known for his close relationship with Gaddafi.
So Antoine what are your really trying to imply?
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First of all, Bondi did not "hit out" at Gaddafi's treasure keeper Joe Sammut but only mentioned FACTS and prudently did not refer to the rumours going round that the MLP was funded by Gaddafi for reasons unknown.
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Secondly, Nexos lighting works on Labour events too and, if they got a contract in Libya it certainly wasn't thanks to the Where's Everybody. More likely thanks to labour
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Thirdly, the programme on the Corinthia group featured the achievements of a Maltese company and at no time was their praise or approval of Gaddafi or his regime.
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Where's the hypocrisy? Did Bondi travel on Gaddafi's private plane? Was he present at the Gaddafi Caribbean parties?
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Truth is that Labour is in a panic because any dealings it might have had with Gaddafi will be exposed once the Libyan Transitional Council will have liberated the country.
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Once contacts are established between Malta and the new Libyan authorities, Gaddafi's papers and dealings are examined and the truth will come out.
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X'tistenna minn Lou Bondi - iehor li ser iwassal biex il-PN jitlef l-elezzjoni li gejja, m'hemx x'tghamel, biss il-maggoranza kbira tal-Maltin jafu minhu Bondi.
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No Maltese who got work in Libya has anything to do with the violence especially those that lost their job or are in the queue to become redundant. In actual fact, Malta was well behind the Italian and the British in taking the business opportunities in Libya after the removal of the sanctions.
One has to note that Libya was trying to becaome a tourist country and to encourage the sector touristic projects were tax free.
So one that used to make business in Libya was not related to violence and before these incidents, Libyan man in the street had good opportunities to increase his standard of living.
For those that know the future please tell us where to go to earn our living now that Libyan business might be in jeopardy.
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@ alchemist
Brown noses get you anywhere with gonziPN, that answers your question about alan camilleri ?
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@moron
So now it is timing not taking advantage of other peoples' miseries.
The word hypocracy was invented for the likes of gonziPN and its cronies not forgetting their apologists.
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I wonder how anybody in his right senses can watch Bondi + or - (depends on whom he has as his guest).
[Note: (+) i.e. if he is pro labour he tries to batter him and (-) if he is a PN guest then he treats him with a silken glove]
By way what expertise has Alan Camilleri in financial and economic mangement?
Thought he graduated in religion! By the way how was he appointed Chairman of Malta Enterprise? Certainly not following a public call for applications as promised by Dr Gonzi in the last election.
Insomma his results are really showing!
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And what exactly is wrong with trying to win Maltese contracts for the reconstruction in Libya? Isn't it what all the other countries are doing, France in primis? The difference with Joseph Muscat's declaration is that this would happen AFTER the crisis subsides, not during. That's called 'timing'.
