Shaming Ali Baba’s 40 thieves

NAO report is damning to anyone who still values decency, good governance and the common good, says Albert Buttigieg. The good that this administration has done is overshadowed by systematic episodes of sleaze and dishonesty.

Credit: meunierd / Shutterstock.com

Many people have grown up with the tale of Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves. While Ali Baba had 40 thieves to deal with, honest Malta has to face an entire Labour Party line-up. Labour’s sleazy record makes even the 40 thieves look tame.

Regrettably, the good that this administration has done is overshadowed by systematic episodes of sleaze and dishonesty.

From the Gaffarena debacle to the Panama revelations, from Electrogas to the Montenegro windfarms disclosures, and from the social benefits racket to the Vitals/Steward’s €400 million heist, Labour has become a den of thieves.

The latest National Audit Office report regarding the Fortina Group’s land evaluation is a case in point. The report is damning to anyone who still values decency, good governance and the common good.

According to the report, taxpayers were defrauded of nearly €13 million when the Labour government pushed through a parliamentary resolution to remove conditions imposed by previous deeds. These conditions had restricted future development and imposed height limitations. In exchange for waiving them, the Fortina Group paid €8.1 million – and an independent audit valuing the land at €21 million was quietly buried.

While I find it insulting when government apologists try to shift responsibility onto public officials, we all know that the buck stops with the government. Claiming that the prime minister or the minister at the time was unaware reveals either incompetence or wilful naivety. Anyone familiar with public administration knows that nothing moves forward without the consent of the Office of the Prime Minister or the relevant minister.

This new scandal is not only an insult to parliament but also undermines the very foundations of our democracy, adding yet another stain to an endless list of controversies.

Alex Borg, as the new leader of the Nationalist Party, was right to state that “the government had failed to safeguard the national interest”. This, he added, “was a failure of governance and a betrayal of the people’s interests”.

It also further exposes the toxic ties between big business – whom I have no hesitation in calling fat cats – and the Labour Party. On multiple occasions, Labour has been caught cosying up to these interests while scratching their backs.

Once more, citizen John has been defrauded.

For some, €13 million – like the €400 million lost in the Vitals heist – may seem like an abstract figure. But that sum translates into very real consequences: the difference between a new school and a rundown one; between adequate healthcare and yet another delayed procedure; between affordable housing and a generation priced out; between supporting cancer patients’ treatments and forcing them to plead with the Community Chest Fund. This money could have served the public good. Instead, it has lined the pockets of a greedy few.

This is not just about the Fortina land evaluation. It is about what kind of country we want to be.

Honest, law-abiding citizens must stand up and be counted. The line has been crossed too many times for us to remain silent and indifferent. This nation cannot afford any more silence. At this critical moment, silence is not just unpatriotic – it is a sign of complicity and cowardice.

The time to stand up is now. This is the moment.

(This article was published on Times of Malta – 2 October, 2025)