Return of the JS List

Seven months after its original mention in Parliament, Evarist Bartolo has once again brought to the fore the enigmatic “JS List”. Unlike seven months ago we no longer need to speculate as to the meaning of “JS” in the list (our speculations were wrong anyway) since Varist has referred us all to Joe Stellini, the PN’s former treasury. The sleuths at Malta Today (god bless their hard working souls so close to the ferragosto weekend) have followed up on a series of name dropping statements by the former education minister.

I may be tired and packing for a ten day trip along the Rhine that kicks off tomorrow does not augur well for deciphering Evarist Bartolo’s version of the Lost Symbol but if I am not mistaken he is insinuating that huge companies in Tokyo and Copenhagen had more than a hand in the assignation of the BWSC contract (remember that hot potatoe). The name dropping is not on the scale of ENRON style scandal but by Maltese standards it is big. There is an alleged web of intertwined interests that lead to linking the tenderor and the tenderee on the energy contract. There’s more. Bartolo does not shy back from implying that KPMG auditor to many of the parties involved served as a bridge between all the parties and government. And all this to lead to where? it’s not clear Who, What, When, Why or How but the conclusion is that:

“The PN has a system of fundraising where companies win government contracts and donate money to the PN. They are all part of the PN’s JS list,” Bartolo said, referring to the so called list named after former PN treasurer Joe Stellini.

Which is one hell of a whopper. From DimechGate to JS-Gate. Only, as I have been lamenting all the while, we need more tangible proof. We need cases before the Public Services Commission. It’s not a problem that the allegations surface on a newspaper – the newspaper is only attempting to perform its duty as part of the fourth estate – but there must be a follow up using the full strength of our democratic institutions. In a way there was never a shadow of doubt that contractors in various markets benefited from their contacts with the PN and that they performed services or investments in return. We just needed someone to get talking about them as a first step to something more direct being done about it. We do not have a magistratura in Malta as they do in Italy so do not expect a flurry of avvisi di garanzia very soon.

The “mani pulite” that began with Dimech Gate might (and I stress the might) be about to widen up to something big. The biggest problem remains the prevailing culture that will probably read to a shrug of the shoulders and a “no shit sherlock” approach. In the land of the blind the parties supported by major contractors are Kings.