The "culture of impunity" - by Sharon Ritchie

The judges of Malta have presented a report about the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia. They say the government was responsible, because it allowed a culture of impunity.

Daphne Caruana Galizia was the Maltese journalist who reported on corruption in government and big business. She was constantly threatened with lawsuits and violence.

In fact, exactly what happens in New Zealand to anyone who tries to report the same corruption here.

New Zealand was reported in the Panama Papers leak as laundering the proceeds of the Maltese corruption. John Key's government set up an inquiry but it was decided that money laundering was of no concern of New Zealand, as it doesn't tax foreign money.

That was in 2016. The threats to Daphne Caruana Galizia continued until she was murdered in 2017.

When there was no proper investigation, in 2019 her sons launched a strong campaign, and businessmen and officials started to be properly investigated and arrested. The Prime Minister of Malta said he would have to resign because his staff were involved. He resigned in January 2020.

Criminal trials started. By March 2021 it was clear that Daphne Caruana Galizia had been murdered for exposing corruption in Malta. The proceeds of that were laundered through New Zealand.

New Zealand continued to strengthen its laundering mechanisms.

Tony Smith, an expert in corruption and covering up theft and perversion, advised the governments own lawyers how to cover up criminal offences by committing more of them. Crown lawyers became expert ingetting the cooperation of judges in making and enforcing coverup orders.

The Employment Relations Authority and the Employment Court continued to give themselves power to order coverups, theft and perversion of the course of justice and the High Court and Court of Appeal continued to support them.

Tony Smith drafted a coverup law for Andrew Little to get passed in Parliament. The Contempt of Court Act 2019 allowed MBIE officials to have their orders enforced by fining people or sending them to prison.

Andrew Little went out on the world stage telling everyone they had to obey New Zealand's coverups. He had meetings with international commercial organisations and government bodies telling them they had to agree.

How did they get away with it for so long?

In Malta, Daphne Caruana Galizia's murderers were brought to trial and convicted. There are investigations and proceedings about corruption and money laundering by government officials and policemen. The judges have reported on how a "culture of impunity" tore the fabric of Maltese society apart.

In New Zealand, Ministers have openly bought into that culture. Officials publish their perverted decisions, judges flaunt their contempt for Parliament and the common law, lawyers say there is too much corruption to tackle and they just have to "play the game", Ministers agree to look the other way at best.

Why is the culture of impunity celebrated in New Zealand? Why does the mainstream press not dare to talk about it? What will happen when Kiwis finally get fed up with it?