Although I was following, I did not write about the yet another corrupt scandal of this government, in the ‘help’ that candidates received from the former Transport Minister Ian Borg, now Foreign Affairs minister, his canvasser Jesmond Zammit and his ministry personnel, Transport Malta’s director of licensing Clint Mansueto, Philip Edrick Zammit and Raul Antonio Pace, because I wanted to see what the Labour government will come up with this time.
I am referring to the driving test fraud scandal where candidates were helped at different stages of the licensing process. Details of how these people were ‘helped’ can be read here.
Needless to say, I never hear any of them apologising to the public and demonstrating accountability. How childish!
Ian Borg said that he had always advised the authority to operate within the parameters of the law. How? By playing hula hoop with the law’s loop holes? So can he explain why did he forward names of test candidates that had to be ‘taken care of’ to ensure they passed their exam? Weren’t these candidates able to pass their exam without resorting to having their names forwarded? I do not remember neither going to a minister nor having my name forwarded when I had to sit for my driving license test! Don’t we all have brains?
And then we have the cherry on the cake. “Borg said that at a time when politicians are often criticised for being distant from the public, he is ‘proud for being accessible to everyone.'” Excuse me? Does being accessible to everyone mean to bypass honesty and practise discrimination with honest citizens? Borg’s statement is manipulative, tapping on people’s emotions so to draw sympathy.
Ian Borg, if those allegations brought against you are not true, then prove it. Saying that you attentively considered people’s grievances and acted upon them is not only not a good reason but it does not hold. What kind of grievances? What kind of favours did these people need? If Transport Malta as an authority, denies people something, isn’t it because it is not stipulated by the law? So why should you be interfering in the first place?
Can you explain, for example, the exchange whereby you referred to “a Dingli band club barman who was taking a driving test”? Can you explain why Mansueto replied with a “‘your friend is my friend’ suggesting that the TM official may employ irregular means to ensure the barman passed? Why weren’t you perturbed? Why, if you say that you always advised the authority to operate within the parameters of the law, didn’t you ensure that these parameters are neither bypassed nor trespassed?
And then we get two cherries on the cake – having Prime Minister Robert Abela defending Ian Borg and the government customer care officials who are involved in this yet another corrupt scandal. And while we have Ray Mizzi, who worked in Abela’s office, linking this corrupt scandal to winning votes, Abela said that the authorities had already investigated the case and acted on ‘alleged irregularities.’ Robert Abela, did you thus admit that there were irregularities?
Then Abela goes into parrot mode, and repeats what Ian Borg stated but making people think that the needs of the candidates were legitimate and that there is nothing wrong in the fact that politicians guide such candidates:
Robert Abela, guiding is one thing but abuse of power is another thing! This is also discrimination against honest citizens! Are you then stating that respective authorities and institutions are not functioning, since citizens have to resort to politicians in order to acquire what is legitimate?
Robert Abela, stop defending your cabinet each and every time a corrupt deal pops up in the Labour government. Because when it is convenient, you say that there are ongoing investigations and thus you cannot comment, but in other contexts in which you should be waiting for investigations so that you come out with an honest statement, as a responsable and mature Prime Minister, you immediately come to the defense. These are double standards which are not being swallowed by the people.
Shame on you, Labour government! Is this how you are winning elections?
The system should function independently and well, without the need of citizens having to lick a politician’s arse. This is abuse of power and it creates injustice among people. Politicians are there to serve, in an honest way, and guide the people to also live honestly. Politicians are there to serve and help the people elevate themselves to become better people by using honesty and hard-work. Politicians are there to serve and obey the laws, as they, at the end of the day, require from the citizens.
Sad how to get justice now, you need to declare your love for the ruling party.
Shame on the Labour government, Ian Borg and all those officials who were involved in this scandal. If anything, they should have stood their ground and said “No. This goes against my principles. I would rather resign and walk head up high rather than obey and get involved, while I walk the hall of shame.”
But, you are all immature and childish to do this.
