I am not as privileged as Fr Joe Borg. I do not have direct contact with the Commissioner of Police nor do I want it.
On 16th October 2021, Fr Joe Borg tells us that when Newsbook received the calls transmitting animated voices asking to stop writing about Yorgen Fenech, Alex Dalli, and me, he phoned the Commissioner of Police, and immediately he was put through to the Assistant Commissioner of Police Theuma.
My dear Fr Borg, I am now going to start writing and arguing like you. I shall start by reminding you about what you said that they wanted to take you to court for what you have written and are writing about Yorgen Fenech. In my case, I was not told that I would be taken to court. I have been taken to court and your media had a field day. While you have a right to say whatever you wish about Yorgen Fenech – and I back this right – I too have as much a right to write what I think about this case. However, I find it necessary to remind you that this individual has not yet been found guilty. Yet, you have decided and already declared him guilty without even having heard his version. And to crown matters further, you wear a dog collar.
However, from the manner you spoke on the Catholic Church Radio, you have shown that you are truly privileged. So much so that you admit contacting the Commissioner of Police directly. Thus confirming that not only have you the privilege to contact him at any time but also when it pleases you.
When I had the same experience that you at Newsbook had and received the same type of telephone calls, I could not phone the police commissioner. Like every Maltese citizen who receives similar threatening phone calls, I had to go to the police station to lodge my report. I could not do what you did and pick up the phone and call the Commissioner of Police. Nor would I wish to do so.
Last Thursday 14th October 2021, when I went to lodge my report, I had to wait outside the police station in the pouring rain in a queue – because of Covid19, only one person can enter the Msida station where I did lodge a complaint. I had to wait for 45 minutes before I was admitted into the police station because there was just one police officer at the front desk.
My report was taken by a police officer on duty; not by Assistant Commissioner Theuma as in your case. For when as a journalist you lie about people (and I remind you that you have done so in my case without actually mentioning my name) this same journalist today turns out to be one who can immediately get in touch with our Commissioner of Police Gafa and with some other European Commissioner.
You ought to know that it was even difficult for me to get the police to take down my report concerning these anonymous robotic-voiced telephone calls. It took me a good 15 minutes to persuade the officer, but let me be clear the officer in this instance was correct. There were no direct threats when I was asked to stop defending Alex Dalli. However, the police officer realized the gravity of the situation when it was confirmed that the first call I received was made from police HQ. The officer was very diligent. In his presence, I phoned HQ myself to prove to him that the number appearing on my mobile was that of the police HQ. Then, the policewoman who answered my phone call at police HQ got me immediately in touch with the Cyber Crime Unit.
Do you know what Fr Joe Borg should have spoken about? Why did he not talk about the data held in Daphne’s computer and which was allowed to be destroyed? Why did the Police investigating and the inquiring magistrate allow this material to be destroyed? Has anyone reflected on these points with equanimity and not allowed to be carried away by hate? Yet, on these topics, Malta’s Church media station, which should be speaking and defending the truth, remains completely silent. But then to further muddy the picture, this same Malta Church media creates her own narrative which is far removed from the truth and in so doing accommodates third parties.
Finally, I am now understanding why I should not be surprised that Fr Joe Borg has the direct number of the Commissioner of Police. What can one expect from a journalist who, in this case, all he does is uphold indefensible phony investigations?
Fr. Joe Borg should remember that Judge Lawrence Mintoff gave the Commissioner of Police a serious telling-off in court regarding the manner in which investigations concerning the Daphne Caruana Galizia murder have been carried out.
Now take a look at where the Church has ended up. The Church in Malta has become synonymous with lying. There are those who do not believe her and you too, Fr. Borg, appear to have lost your trust in her when you tell us that in another life you would wish to become a Buddhist woman priest and become a bhikkhuni! Incidentally, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama and many other Buddhist leaders support the revival of full ordination for women, and the global association of Buddhist women, Sakyadhita, has made achieving gender equity in ordination one of its main goals.
Archbishop Scicluna is going to be pleased that, thanks to individuals like you Fr Borg, you succeeded in bringing the Church in Malta down to such an abyss as to reduce her to total irrelevance.