If ‘location, location, location’ is the mantra of the real estate business, ‘perception, perception, perception’ must surely be that of politics.
Judging by recent events, however, it seems the present administration has lost sight of this self-evident truth. It appears from the shocking naivety expressed by Finance Minister Tonio Fenech, in his interview with The Times on Monday, that the 39-year-old Cabinet minister has yet to learn and understand one of the most elementary of the unwritten laws of politics: i.e., that it makes not one iota of difference whether you are guilty or not of wrongdoing. What matters is the perception of guilt, which alone is enough to condemn even a far more established and experienced politician than Tonio Fenech... as we saw with the John Dalli resignation episode in July 2004, and with the Victor Scerri case earlier this year.
This is why experienced politicians always take steps to at least appear to be above suspicion at all times. Not because they are virgins or saints; but simply because they instinctively know (or should know, if they have any sense) that if news of any indiscretion on their part were to get out in the press, their entire career could easily be over in the bat of an eyelid.
From this perspective, one can only ask: what on earth was passing through the Finance Minister’s mind, when he accepted an invitation to travel with leading businessmen Joe Gasan and George Fenech, on board the Tuman Fenech company jet, to watch a football game with his family?
And more to the point: what was the Prime Minister thinking, when he gave him the go-ahead, regardless of the inevitable fact that the episode would ‘not look good’ (to understate the case) if it were to emerge at a later date?
If this were the end of the story, it would already be bad enough. But it quickly gets a whole lot worse, for at least three reasons that immediately spring to mind:
One, George Fenech is no ordinary entrepreneur: he is the owner of two out of Malta four casinos, and – at the time of his trip to Spain – Tonio Fenech was contemplating a reform of the Lotteries and Gaming Laws, which happen to regulate the same industry of which George Fenech is a kingpin;
Two, the trip itself took place only two months before the lease on the Dragonara Casino was due to expire... with George Fenech already positioned at the forefront of the list of potential bidders to take over this lucrative, multi-million euro business;
Three, the Ministerial Code of Ethics specifically and in unmistakable terms forbids government ministers to accept such gifts, for the express reason that (as the law of perception decrees, and common sense should in any case dictate) such gifts will automatically arouse suspicion.
Meanwhile, as a result of last June’s crackdown on betting shops, casinos in general (and George Fenech in particular, being the proud owner of two such establishments) have already done exceptionally well from all the business diverted their way. This newspaper is informed that the casino industry registered 30% more profits in the months since the raid. Now, we also discover that a subsidiary of the Tumas Group doubles up as the owner of a property which it leases to the Lotteries and Gaming Authority... which in turn regulates its own ‘landlord’s’ industry to boot.
And to cap it all, the same Authority has already given Mr Fenech a favourable concession, allowing him to operate his two casinos when he strictly speaking only has a licence for one.
In all honesty, one has to be deaf, dumb, blind and possibly also stupid not to perceive anything amiss with the current scenario. And yet, Minister Fenech – who is in multiple breach of public trust for all the above reasons – continues to behave for all the world as though he did nothing wrong at all. It is as though it were perfectly normal and natural for a Cabinet minister, in an EU member State, to indebt themselves with big business interests in this way. And for big businesses to reap the rewards of their ‘investments’, in a way that disadvantages their competitors in a supposedly free market.
And in a sense, all this is partly true. There is, in fact, nothing wrong with a businessman inviting a government minister on a private trip. After all, there is no code of ethics governing such invitations from the point of the view of the business community.
But with government ministers, who are responsible for the administration of the nation’s wealth, well, the issue changes slightly.
Fact of the matter: there is a code of ethics governing Ministers... whether they themselves know this or not. By the same token, there is something wrong with Minister Fenech’s decision to accept that invitation. As for the fact that neither he nor the Prime Minister appear conscious of this... it only confirms the sad state to which politics has been allowed to degenerate in this country.
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