Labour Party Insiders Call For Resignations And Police Investigations But Insist On Remaining Anonymous
There are cautious rumblings of a revolt within the Labour Party, according to several insiders who spoke to Lovin Malta following last night’s revelations regarding Keith Schembri and Konrad Mizzi’s Panama companies.
So far, only Book Council chairman Mark Camilleri has gone on the record to express his embarrassment at the Labour Party, but seven party officials who spoke to Lovin Malta shared his sentiments and agreed to be quoted on the condition of anonymity.
“I think the new revelation has technically geared us up to a potential leadership race of those who want the status quo and those who want change,” said one party official, referring to the emails published by Times of Malta and Süddeutsche Zeitung.
Another unnamed source within the Labour Party said the first story of The Daphne Project, regarding Economy Minister Chris Cardona’s alleged rendezvous with one of the suspects accused of killing Daphne Caruana Galizia, was “bullshit”.
But the stories regarding Keith Schembri and Konrad Mizzi were “disturbing” and merited police investigation.
“This is the biggest test for the police. It would be ridiculous if they summon Simon Busuttil for putting up posters and not the others following yesterday’s revelations. Hopefully all will be investigated and the outcome will be positive, but it must be investigated.”
The source said that the police now had even more information on which to investigate so they should act immediately.
“This is the biggest test for the police. It would be ridiculous if they summon Simon Busuttil for putting up posters and not the others following yesterday’s revelations.”
“The only positive thing so far is that these emails did not refer to Egrant so I’m starting to believe the story that Egrant was really just a parked company that remained in Nexia BT’s position,” he added.
Asked if Schembri and Mizzi should step down, the unnamed Labour Party official said: “Both are fucking good at their jobs. Mizzi is doing great work with Air Malta and Keith Schembri is an excellent manager besides bringing lots of business to Malta.”
“I’m very perplexed. I hope more information comes out,” he said.
A third source stressed that the Labour Party was not there simply to applaud government.
“Labour was always and will always remain an alive party which discusses ideas. That’s how we should remain, even when we’re in government,” implying that it was time for a serious discussion on the fate of Keith Schembri and Konrad Mizzi.
A fourth Labour Party source elaborated even further: “More than anything else I’m disappointed. I cannot believe we are back here again, reliving the same saga, only now it’s with international coverage. Myself and all rational-minded people, excluding Labour-can-do-no-wrong devotees, cannot comprehend why Keith and Konrad are still there. We are proud of our party, of our nation’s progress – people have come to expect more of their government because we have set those standards. We’re delivering on everything else but this just stupefies us.”
“The Opposition is in shambles and we are the ones making them relevant again. If Konrad and Keith really loved their party, their supporters, their country, they would step aside. It’s not about them and their affirming their innocence anymore – it’s about the rest of us having to hang our heads in shame and embarrassment and all the hard work and progress being drowned out. We have done so much and we will be remembered for all the wrong reasons. But knowing Konrad’s ego, he will never step aside and Keith is too brilliant to dismiss, so I don’t know where we go from here.”
“We have done so much and we will be remembered for all the wrong reasons. But knowing Konrad’s ego, he will never step aside and Keith is too brilliant to dismiss, so I don’t know where we go from here.”
A fifth source told Lovin Malta: “To be honest yesterday’s news only confirmed what should have happened over a year ago. No party should have people like Schembri in their highest ranks.”
People aren’t speaking out because there’s money in people’s pockets and the party is still on a high from the electoral victory, the official said.
“When the public is showing so strongly that they don’t care about the Egrant allegations, who will speak up? If they know they are alone.”
Asked whether the source thinks the police would investigate, the source said: “Not a chance. The police and state are one and the same. It’s always been that way. If they wanted to react, the proof has been there for ages. What are they waiting for?”
A sixth source said Lovin Malta’s article this morning struck a chord at certain levels of the party and government.
“We’ve reached a critical point where if nothing is done, all the good work that has been done by all involved risks going down the drain.”
“Yesterday’s news only confirmed what should have happened over a year ago. No party should have people like Schembri in their highest ranks”
Meanwhile, former Labour minister Godfrey Farrugia, now an MP for Partit Demoktratiku, commented on Facebook with a stark and depressing warning.
“I stood up and got nowhere. I resigned from being Minister on grounds of accountability. I resigned from being Whip to bring the government to its senses. I resigned from the Labour Party because it had lost its historical ideals. Marlene (Farrugia) resigned too. Dr Muscat still treads on. To speak out inside the twisted Party machine will lead you to being silenced,” he said, before adding: “With determination I will continue to uphold to Malta’s ideals and the public good. Country before Party.”
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