Why is the USA interferring in Malta’s internal affairs? Can the spokesperson of the U.S. State Department Ned Price explain?
Lovin Malta carried an article by Yannick Pace on Wednesday 22 December 2021 informing us that Keith Schembri and Konrad Mizzi are now personae non gratae in the US and therefore they, their spouses, and minor children will not be allowed into the US.
According to Edward ‘Ned’ Price who, on 20th January 2021, was sworn in as the Spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State:
“… Their actions undermined rule of law and the Maltese public’s faith in their government’s democratic institutions and public processes… This designation reaffirms the U.S. commitment to supporting the rule of law and strengthening democratic institutions in Malta. The Department will continue to use authorities like this to promote accountability for corrupt actors in this region and globally.”
Is this some brain wave of Edward ‘Ned’ Price who, apart from being a former CIA agent, is also co-founder and Director of Policy and Communications at National Security Action, a non-profit advocacy organisation? Has this organization been asked by some Maltese NGO and/or group that are on the same wavelength as Mr. Price, to give their agenda a helping hand? What has prompted the US Department of State to come out now after all this time? Have the Mizzis and Schembris recently requested to visit the US or perhaps Disneyland for a US spokesperson to suddenly wake up? Not likely. Considering the ongoing pandemic, it is obvious that somebody somewhere has decided to stir up more muck.
And as we are at it, since when are minor children held responsible and made to share the burden of the alleged or true sins of the fathers? Has an international law been passed recently, thus overriding the Rights of the Child? Can Mr. Price enlighten us?
What is further out of tune here is the fact that the US has chosen to come up with such a statement before the new US Ambassador to Malta has even taken up official residence on the island. Odd indeed.
Be that as it may, it is even more mind-boggling. Why now and not earlier on? The two former Maltese government officials, one of whom was elected by the people and is still an independent MP, are still being investigated and may still have to appear in court. Such a ban will only prejudice their right to a fair hearing.
Where lies the game? Is this some goody-goody attempt by the US similar to the compounded messes she created in Iraq, Cuba, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Libya, etc., and then pulls out after having only succeeded in creating unforgivable blunders?
Besides, assuming Ned Price’s statement is an honest one when he writes …
“Specifically, there is credible information that Mizzi and Schembri were involved in a corrupt scheme that entailed the award of a government contract for the construction of a power plant and related services in exchange for kickbacks and bribes…”
On what is this credible information based? On the allegations of the Caruana Galizias who have failed to date to produce evidence of any kind regarding ElectroGas and their mother’s murder? They even went so far as to even destroy the data in her computers, believing themselves to be above the law and know best. Which also means that they have something to hide. Otherwise, no intelligent person would ever destroy potential evidence unless it is self-incriminating. And so the game goes on with the US now joining the fray.
There is of course to consider in this ban the fact that Konrad Mizzi is also married to Sai Mizzi Liang, whose father is a high official in the Chinese Communist Party. Konrad Mizzi had struck a very favourable deal with China to take over the previous power station which was run with heavy fuel oil and be transformed into gas. When this deal was being made, China was expanding its gas energy policies in different parts of the world at the expense of the United States.
If it is true that the US has ample proof of corruption then why does she not come clean instead of using innuendoes? But the truth lies elsewhere. Price is even covering his back with the euphemistic words ‘credible information’. Who is he accommodating? In fact, he needed some backing because in the Times of Malta date Friday 24th December 2021, Jacob Borg writes that:
“Commenting in the wake of a US travel ban slapped on former government members Keith Schembri and Konrad Mizzi, the embassy official said the US will continue to monitor the investigation into corruption in Malta ‘closely’.“
The embassy official said all allegations of corruption are taken seriously and the travel ban shows the American government is willing to act on corruption. A public announcement by the US State Department on Wednesday saw the travel ban being imposed on Schembri and Mizzi due to their involvement in “significant corruption”. And here we have not a clue who the embassy official is – no name, no status. Just another unprofessional act by a journalist or somebody at the local embassy realizing that someone, somewhere, was abusing his or her position and came to the rescue.
To come out in this Goofy fashion goes only to show how inept all these upcoming pretentious and arrogant spokespersons have become. Probably what lies at the back of all this ‘statement’ is the fact that Konrad Mizzi’s wife Sai Mizzi Liang happens to be the daughter of a very high-ranking official in the CCP and that for the US is difficult to digest. It is the usual tit-for-tat tactics adopted by puerile bureaucrats.
The USA may carry on dreaming of wanting to colonize and rule the world but China has beaten her to her game and has now taken over as the leading world power. Therefore, why the hell is the US interfering in the internal affairs of our Island?
