Editorial: Unlike oil, the truth not surfacing

Oil will surface when mixed with water, according to chemistry and an old Maltese adage. However, the truth still has to emerge in the oil corruption scandal 10 years after the first charges were pressed in court.

Seven individuals had been arraigned in 2013. Two have been acquitted, the latest one just days ago.

At the time of writing, the judgment clearing former Enemalta financial controller Tarcisio Mifsud was still not available online, so the presiding magistrate’s motivation and reasons for reaching such a conclusion cannot be studied.

However, when former chief projects officer Ray Ferris was acquitted in 2015, the magistrate – since promoted to judge – had noted that his version of events was more credible than George Farrugia’s, the oil trader granted a presidential pardon to spill the beans.

The court had remarked that the corruption charge was “possibly made in error” as no evidence was produced to back it up and the same applied to charges of fraud.

If the same or a similar conclusion was made by the magistrate hearing the Mifsud case, the prosecution could be facing serious problems unless the evidence at its disposal does not go beyond what has been submitted in...