Saviour Balzan | Sunday, 14 February 2010

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Sewers and gutters

We have chosen not to enter the realm of rat-infested sewers, in spite of being egged on by some to come down on Bidnija’s most talked about woman. And guess what? We still have many friends who invite us to their dinner parties and who trust us not to repeat what is said in the privacy of their homes.
We’re sure they cannot say the same for the woman who has made gossip, conjecture and hate the spirit of her writings.
Those who have not quite realised what happened here should perhaps appreciate that it was not MaltaToday who threw plates and saucers at her husband. It was her husband who brought a private family episode into the public domain, by making an official police report about being harassed by his wife. It was she who led her husband to do what he had to do. And it must take quite a lot to have your husband lodge a police report against you.
MaltaToday did not publish this bit of matrimonial discord, but another newspaper did.
And it was not me who was invited to Consuelo Scerri Herrera’s dinner party… but other guests, such as one popular PBS presenter.
I should explain to all readers that the reason for her hysterical reaction was all part of an attempt to deflect public attention from her husband’s police report. In my lifetime I have exchanged more words with Galileo Galilei than with Consuelo Scerri Herrera, and guess what? If anyone bothers to check out the court reports they would note that some two weeks before this very outburst of blog fury, the same magistrate found me guilty of libel in a case instituted by Michael Falzon (MLP) and fined me some hundreds of euros. I disagreed with her judgement but… I did not even raise an eyebrow.
No matter how hard Lawrence Gonzi and Richard Cachia Caruana try to label this newspaper, I know we have never stooped this low. They confuse criticism with being personal, and the reason is they just cannot take criticism.
And because the Prime Minister is facing such an uphill struggle and internal trouble – as attested by yet another backbencher’s backlash (see Jean Pierre Farrugia on the front page) – they continue to ride on this hate speech to hit out at their critics.
Since she has so much time to waste, why does she not enlighten us on the following?

• How she voted for Alternattiva Demokratika, and at the time accused Eddie Fenech Adami of being a village lawyer (a case of bad judgement?), and then suddenly saw eye to eye with RCC…

• When she scorned Alternattiva Demokratika when all of a sudden she started eulogising Fenech Adami…

• How when she had a public relations contract with an American company that wanted to win the privatisation contract of MIA, she used her role of newspaper columnist at a press conference to advance her interests as private consultant…

• How her cordial friendship ended with a lawyer who has been found guilty of fraud and embezzlement…

• Why she defended the disgraced former Commissioner of Police who was being investigated on allegations of sexual harassment, for which he was allegedly being blackmailed

• Of her involvement as a consultant with the foreign office.

• How she picks and chooses whom she should and should not attack.

• Why she was in favour of Dar Malta in Brussels, the projected development at Hondoq ir-Rummien, the extension at St John’s Co Cathedral, Fort Cambridge and others.

• How she is dragging the shareholders of the Independent and Sunday Independent into disrepute, by linking her blog and opinions and publications with the name of their newspapers.

• When she voted for JPO in the last national election (another case of bad judgement?) but now hits out at him... especially after JPO’s stand on St John’s Co Cathedral, and his finger-pointing in RCC’s direction.

• When she will find the time to scribble some gossip about the sexual anecdotes, encounters and mishaps and hang-ups of her so called friends and acquaintances and their friends…

• Why she preferred Richard Cachia Caruana to be Commissioner to John Dalli.

• What she would do if RCC were nominated Commissioner in Brussels.

• When and why she wrote in favour of the Zeppi l-Hafi testimony, and why she chose to ridicule all those who dared question the ‘credibility’ of the testimony of such a liar and criminal.

• How she holds everyone to ransom because they all are aware that if they raise a voice of dissent she will come back with a barrel of personal innuendoes and allegations.

• Why she finds it incorrect for JPO to reveal contents of a private meeting with the Prime Minister, and yet sees nothing wrong with revealing the hallucinatory remarks of Scerri Herrera’s dinner guest on a story in MaltaToday.

One could go on, explaining why her survival in this miasma of hatred is because she enjoys the patronage of this country’s leadership. Perhaps she could remark on how it feels to have her spurious comments justified on Net TV by party candidate Georg Sapiano, the lawyer she herself had attacked on more than one occasion.
Instead she has now decided to attack the integrity of yet another member of the judiciary, who is obliged to preside over a criminal case against her. Now it’s Magistrate Micallef Trigona’s turn to be vilified.
Perhaps she could suggest a judge of her choice, a tailor-made set of laws and a legal system to suit her needs and wishes, and a preferred judgement!
It is now abundantly clear that she tarnishes anyone who is seen as a threat to GonziPN. Hence the attack on Robert Musumeci, who was to contest the casual election for the seat vacated by John Dalli. I just hope the Prime Minister is not behind her. For it seems clear the Prime Minister is consciously riding the crest of this tsunami of hatred.
Someone here is clearly not advising the PM to publicly dissociate himself from her low personal attacks. Until he does this, her bile is going to stick and tarnish the PM and the Nationalist party.
She has taken the interpretation of fair comment beyond its limits. But what most Nationalists believe is that she has gone too far and that she is now taking the whole party and government down with her. Her reputation and credibility has reached rock bottom, and practically everyone now considers her to be a liability.
The amazing thing on this side of the world is that we can just about withdraw our billboard and advertising slots in promoting MaltaToday. Her Bilious-ness managed to generate even more interest (and sales) for MaltaToday and Illum. Seems like there is a redeeming factor in the ocean of muck she’s defecating. Slow handclap – well done. Thank you.

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