Mark Montebello's blog

Johann hu zaghzugh ta’ 23 sena. Gimghatejn ilu gie ssentenzjat minn wahda mill-qrati kriminali taghna ghal xahar habs ghax instab hati li kiser il-kundizzjonijiet tal-bejl li kien inghata hames xhur qabel. Il-kaz jidher semplici, komuni u ghad-dritt. Li ma jidhirx hu l-mod insensittiv li bih agixxiet il-qorti f’kaz iehor fost tant u tant ohrajn. Kankru ikrah Jiena nahseb li l-amminsitrazzjoni tal-gustizzja f’pajjizna ghandha kankru ikrah li hadd ma jrid li jiffaccja. Fid-dieher, dawk li huma involuti jaghmlu mill-ahjar li jistghu sabiex jibqghu jaghtuna l-impressjoni li kollox sew u li l-magna taghhom tahdem fuq ir-rubini. Imma meta wiehed ihares mill-qrib isib li din l-impressjoni qed tahbi realtajiet li ghandhom iweggghu s-senstittività civili li ghandna jkollna. B’mod generali, fil-qrati kriminali donnu jkun hemm tliet kwalitajiet ta’ kawzi. Kwalità wahda hi dik ta’ dawk li jinvolvu reati ta’ certu kalibru kontra l-ligi kriminali tal-pajjiz. Dawn jidher li jigu ttrattati bis-s...

I once met Woody Allen in Paris. I was a teenager then. He was producing some sketch with a few team-mates at a lonely spot. I could not resist the temptation to go over and shake his hand. Well you don’t meet the likes of him everyday, do you? More than a little annoyed, he pretended to be pleased with the acquaintance, and asked me where I was from. I said Malta. And he said, “Ah, Malta!”, then threw down a really small spittle on the pavement at his foot, pointed at it, and said, “Malta!” I did not take this to be an insult. I don’t think it was intended to be so. I took it to be just weird Woody Allen humour (which I really never understand very much anyway). At least he knew we existed – something I learned never to assume of anyone – and he also knew something about us: that we were an almost imperceptible island. Malta is indeed a very tiny place: just about the size of Birmingham, with a population slightly more than that of Manchester. What can one ever expect to emerge fr...

Kuljum ghadd ta’ prigunieri jitnizzlu l-qorti tal-Belt. Dan generalment isir kmieni filghodu. Il-prigunieri jitnizzlu ghax ikollhom xi smigh tal-kaz taghhom. Jitnizzlu fil-van tal-habs, jiddahhlu minn Strada Stretta u jitqieghdu fil-‘lock-up’ ta’ taht il-bini tal-qorti. Hemmhekk iqattghu diversi sighat, li mhux dejjem ikunu sighat felici. Certament, il-‘lock-up’ jehtieg rangatura sew. Gagga dipressanti Il-‘lock-up’ ta’ taht il-bini tal-qorti jigi sewwasew livell ma’ Strada Stretta lejn in-naha ta’ Triq San Gwann. jikkonsisti l-aktar f’zewg taqsimiet ewlenin ta’ qies differenti: hemm parti riservata ghall-prigunieri u parti akbar riservata ghall-pulizija. Minn hawnhekk, il-prigunieri jistghu jittellghu jew jitnizzlu bil-lift mis-swali tal-qorti li jinsabu fis-sulari ta’ fuq. Il-parti tal-prigunieri prattikament tikkonsisti f’gagga twila: hajt fuq wara u zewg hitan fil-gnub, u faccata kollha sbarri weqfin. Il-gagga hi battala ghal kollox ghajr ghal twavel imwehhlin mal-hajt biex il...

Il-gvern Taljan mhux biss sar iwettaq atti kriminali kontra nies li jkunu qeghdin jaharbu minn sitwazzjonijiet disperanti u xi kultant mortali, imma issa sar anki jiftahar b’dan l-agir tieghu! Il-gvern Malti mhux biss ma ddefendiex lil dawn in-nies u ghamel protesta formali kontra l-gvern Taljan, imma issa talli qed jifrah lill-gvern Taljan ta’ dan l-agir skorrett, ingust u immorali! Il-gvern Malti sar komplici ta’ dan l-att kriminali tal-gvern Taljan. Att kriminali Li n-nies li jkunu qed jaharbu minn tragedji umani tal-biki jergghu jintbaghtu indiskriminatament lura minfejn ikunu qed jaharbu huwa att kriminali. Huwa kontra d-dritt internazzjonali u kontra l-valuri stess tal-Unjoni Ewropea. Il-gvern Taljan issa qabad ma’ din il-prattika oxxena u dizgustanti donnu minghajr l-oppozizzjoni ufficjali ta’ ebda gurisdizzjoni ohra Ewropea jew tal-Unjoni innifisha. Fuq din il-bicca, il-gvern Nazzjonalista sar komplici mal-gvern Taljan. Mhux biss, imma qed naraw li ma sar xejn differenti ...

Huwa tal-ghageb kif certi politici, kemm tal-gvern kif ukoll tal-oppozizzjoni, flok jaghmluha ta’ mexxejja, jaghtu lill-udjenzi taghhom dak li jridu jisimghu. Hija sengha interessanti. Il- jukebox kienet iddoqq skond il-buttun li taghfsilha. Imma dawn mhux hekk. Huma magna aktar sofistikata minn hekk. Dawn jistudjawk u jdoqqu l-muzika li thobb tisma’ int minghajr ma titlobhom xejn. Huma bhac-cawl, li hija ghasfura gharfa li tqarraq b’dak li jkun billi tistudjak u tikkopja dak li tkun innutat fik. Int tahsibha intelligenti hafna (u certa intelligenza ghandha zgur). Imma fil-fatt, kulma taghmel huwa li tirrifletti lura lejk dak li int tkun kxiftilha. Certi politici huma bhac-cawl li jghidu lill-poplu, mhux dak li tassew jista’ jmexxih ’il quddiem u jkabbru, imma biss dak li l-widnejn tal-poplu jridu jisimghu. Dan ma jirreflettix tajjeb fuqhom ghax fil-fatt juru li huma nies ta’ konvenjenza biss u mhux ta’ principju, kif politiku hu mistenni li jkun. Fejnha s-sensittività? Ic-cawl...

Xahar ilu, fit-18 ta’ Marzu, Sean Hodgson gie mehlus mill-habs wara 27 sena msakkar ghalxejn. Minghajr dell ta’ dubju, il-Qorti Rjali ta’ Londra sabitu innocenti mir-reat ta’ qtil li kien gie akkuzat bih u misjub hati tieghu. Il-Gustizzja kienet qaflitu l-habs ta’ 30 sena u, wara battalja harxa kontriha, saflahhar hargitu hieles ta’ 57 sena. Bhal hafna ohrajn qablu, irrovinatlu hajtu ghal kollox. Il-fatti Il-kaz tragiku ta’ Hodgson imur lura ghal Dicembru tal-1979, meta f’Southampton, l-Ingilterra, l-imsejkna Teresa De Simone, tfajla ta’ 22 sena, instabet fil-karozza taghha stuprata u maqtula. Il-pulizija kienu interrogaw mijiet ta’ suspettati minghajr ma sabu tarf ta’ xejn. Sean Hodgson kien wiehed minn dawn l-isuspettati u saret pressjoni qawwija mill-pulizija sabiex jammetti li ’l De Simone qatilha hu. Fl-ahhar, f’Dicembru tal-1980, waqt li kien il-habs fuq serq, minn hawn u minn hemm Hodgson ammetta u, fi Frar tal-1982, gie misjub hati u kkundannat ghal ghomru l-habs. Is-sena...

Nhar il-Gimgha, 24 tax-xahar, nixtieq nistiednek ghal serata ckejkna li fiha se nohrog ghall-pubbliku ktieb gdid bl-isem 20th Century Philosophy in Malta . Bhalma jindika l-isem, il-ktieb jittratta l-istorja tal-filosofija f’Malta tul is-seklu 20. Is-serata se ssir fil-Lukanda Osborne, Triq Nofsinhar, il-Belt, fis-6.30 ta’ filghaxija. Tahrig ta’ djalogu F’din is-serata, se jitkellmu l-Professur Peter Serracino Inglott, Dr Mario Vella u Michael Grech, tliet filosfi li jiena ghandi stima kbira lejhom u nqis bhala hbieb tieghi. Barra dawn id-diskorsi, ikun hemm ukoll l-opportunità li inti wkoll tesprimi l-fehma tieghek fid-diskussjoni li ssir. Il-ktieb il-gdid qed jigi ppubblikat minn Agius & Agius Books, ta’ Triq il-Kbira San Guzepp, Hamrun. Ghaldaqstant, minn hawnhekk nixtieq pubblikament nirringrazzja lill-proprjetarju, Bastjan Agius, li accetta bil-qalb u bil-ferh li jippubblikali dan ix-xoghol gdid tieghi. Din is-serata ghandha tkun wahda semplici u sabiha li fiha ghandu ...