Some days ago you read on this website about a New York Post report which claimed that $185,000 were wired from Joe Sammut, described as “a Maltese financier” to Nikki Beach in St Barts as payment for a party thrown by Mutassim Gaddafi.

Before running the story, I rang Mr Sammut, a Labour activist and former Labour Party treasurer, to see whether he had issued a denial. No, he had not. So I asked him whether he would like to give me a denial before I ran the piece, and he said that he can’t comment “because of professional secrecy”.

I pointed out that professional secrecy only applies to clients: ethical rules prevent professionals from saying who their clients are, but not from saying who their clients are not. So I would take his refual to speak as confirmation that the Gaddafi family are his clients and that he looks after their money and pays the bills for their parties. Mr Sammut reiterated that he wouldn’t speak because of professional secrecy.

Having read the detailed biography on his website, I knew that at some point the ‘arani ma’ desire to show off would overwhelm all that talk about professional secrecy. The need of the smalltime-boy-made-big to boast would prove irresistible. As it turns out, it had done so already.

Back in August 2008, Joe Sammut – then a regular columnist for L-Orizzont – wrote a piece for the newspaper (read it further down) in which he described how music star Snoop Dogg had nicknamed him Smokin’ Joe. Snoop Dogg, he wrote, was one of the performers contracted for a party which “foreign clients” had asked him to “control financially” for them that month in Porto Cervo, Sardinia. He had been organising these parties for the same clients for the last few years, he wrote.

I wasn’t going to ring Joe Sammut again to ask him to confirm or deny whether all these parties in Porto Cervo and elsewhere, including the August 2008 party at which Snoop Dogg performed, were for the Gaddafis, because I knew that all I’d get is that same spiel about professional secrecy. Apparently, professional secrecy doesn’t prevent him writing L-orizzont articles about the parties he paymasters for clients and who he pays to perform for them, but it does stop him answering questions when journalists call.

But who needs Joe Sammut to answer questions when you have YouTube? And sure enough, there it was: a video of Snoop Dogg’s performance in Porto Cervo, filed as GHEDDAFI PRIVATE PARTY WITH SNOOP DOGG AND NICKY WIDE. It was uploaded by Nicky Wide, resident DJ at Sopravento in Porto Cervo, in September 2008.

Joe Sammut also mentioned in his article that over the years of ‘financially controlling’ parties for these same clients, he had met performers Nelly Furtado and Enrique Iglesias, among others.

A couple of clicks on the internet, and there they were. Nelly Furtado performed for the Gaddafi brothers in a hotel in Italy in 2007, was paid $1 million and a few days ago, when the Libyan crisis erupted, said that she would donate $1 million to charity because she was ashamed of having done the job.

Enrique Inglesias performed for Saadi and Mutassim Gadaffi on 31 December 2005 at Nikki Beach, St Barts.

It’s time for the Maltese sanctions enforcers to take a very close look at Joe Sammut’s financial transactions and bank accounts. He is clearly ‘controlling financially’, as he puts it, the high-rolling parties thrown by the Gaddafi sons in the Caribbean and Sardinia. When Mutassim Gaddafi denied paying for the party in St Barts last year, he was technically correct, because the money came from Malta.

Sanctions apart, there are now some important questions that must be asked and answered. Who recommended Joe Sammut to the Gaddafis as a reliable keeper of their purse in Malta? Given that he was the Labour Party’s treasurer, it is pertinent to ask whether the relationship between Muammar Gaddafi and the Malta Labour Party is not just political but also financial.

Did Gaddafi bankroll the Labour Party in the same way that he bankrolled Dom Mintoff’s social services programme? Is the Labour Party still now receiving money from Libya which would account for its reluctance to commit itself in this crisis?

He who pays the piper calls the tune. Too bad Smokin’ Joe couldn’t keep his mouth shut.

——————-

L-Orizzont – It-Tnejn 25 ta’ Awissu 2008

“Smoking Joe”

minn Joe Sammut

Imma jien ma npejjipx. Kont, iżda m’għadnix. U nittama li ma npejjep qatt aktar. U allura ma stajtx nifhem għaliex wara biss ftit ħin beda jsejjaħli proprju hekk. Il-lingwaġġ tal-mużika RAP ma nifhmux. Imma miegħi, għal jumejn sħaħ kelli r-re tal-mużika Rap, Snoop Dogg (ritratt). U, ħaġa ta’ l-iskantament, sirna ħbieb sew.

“Smoking” RAPeristikament tfisser xi ħaġa totalment differenti. L-aktar definizzjoni viċina probabbilment hija “rassiguranti”. U Snoop, bl-aġġettiv li faqqagħli, ried juri l-apprezzament tiegħu għall-fatt li miegħi ħassu komdu. Trankwill. Bla problemi. Għalija xejn ta’ barra minn din id-dinja.

Dak proprju kien mistenni minni. Imma għal Snoop, l-atteġġjament tiegħi kien ħafna ’l fuq minn dak li kien jistenna minni jew minn dak li normalment jistenna minn ħaddieħor b’missjoni eżatt bħal tiegħi. U allura sparali l-kelma “smoking” quddiem ismi.

Fl-aħħar snin, eżatt fil-festa ta’ Santa Marija, klijenti barranin inkarigawni biex finanzjarjament nikkontrolla festa privata li jagħmlu għal diversi mistednin distinti f’Porto Cervo, f’Sardegna. Finanzjarjament ifisser ħafna drabi “hands on”, jiġifieri preżenza fiżika biex tassigura li l-affari ma toħroġx barra mill-kontroll tiegħek. Li jfisser allura li f’dawn l-aħħar snin iltqajt ma’ persuni li qatt ma ħlomt li nista’ niltaqa’ magħhom wiċċ imbwiċċ.

Shaggy, Nelly Furtado, Enrique Iglesias u tlieta, erbat ijiem ilu lil Snoop Dogg. Biex ma nsemmix għadd ta’ persuni oħrajn ta’ l-ispettaklu Taljan li jkunu mistiedna appuntu għal din il-festa. Imma, bla ebda disrispett lejn ħadd, inħoss li l-aktar li laqgħatni minnhom kollha kien proprju Snoop. Intelliġenti, famuż u fl-istess ħin umli. Anzi umli żżejjed. Fuq kollox imma b’qalb ta’ tarbija u tad-deheb f’daqqa. Insomma, 180 grad differenti minn kif tpinġih il-midja lil dan ir-re tar-Rap.

Stennejtu kif konna miftehmin f’‘lounge’ partikolari fl-Ajruport ta’ Fiumicino. Jien wasalt qablu anke jekk waħda miż-żewġ titjiriet li kelli nagħmel biex nasal Ruma telqet siegħa tard. L-ajruport ta’ Katanja huwa kaos organizzat. Jinbidel il-bini. Imma l-mentalità tibqa’ l-istess. Kjuwijiet kontra kjuwijiet. U ħadd ma jagħmel xejn. Kulħadd donnu kuntent. Ħlief dawk li jridu jivvjaġġjaw.

Waqt li kont qed nistennih fil-‘lounge’ ta’ l-Ajruport ta’ Ruma “ħbatt” ma’ Renzo Arbore. Kien sejjer Sqallija biex jagħti ‘show’ hemmhekk. Ilni niftakru minn meta twelidt. U quddiemi rajt persuna li donnu ż-żmien, biex inkun pulit, għamel miegħu inqas milli għamel ma’ ħaddieħor. Imma le. Illużjoni ottika. Aktar naħseb “ix-xogħol” plastiku. Tipo Berlusconi. Il-bqija krema u “ice-cream” kosmetiku. Ix-xjuħija tista’ taħbiha, iżda taħrabha qatt.

Ftit minuti u waslet il-persuna li għall-jumejn ta’ wara kelli noqgħod magħha. Tant biex niżgura li kif jgħidu l-Ingliżi, ma jitħalla xejn “to chance”. L-affari kellha tibda, tkompli u tispiċċa bl-aktar mod trankwill possibbli. L-ebda problema u l-ebda ntopp. Wara dawn is-snin sirt kważi espert u l-problemi tibda xxommhom mill-bogħod. U tgħallimt anke nbassarhom.

Ftit kliem tal-bidu… dak li l-Ingliżi jgħidulu “small talk”. Titjira kif kienet? Los Angeles kif ħallejtu? Insomma, ridt “nikser is-silġ”, bħalma jgħidu fl-Ingliż. Sadanittant, ‘hostesses’ minn hawn u persuni oħrajn minn hemm, kollha jridu jieħdu ritratt miegħu. Ma nafx minn fejn bdew ħerġin. Lanqas is-CNN ma jasal daqstant veloċi.

Kellna titjira privata. F’inqas minn tliet kwarti konna diġà fl-Ajruport ta’ Olbia, f’Costa Smeralda. Minn hemm dritt lejn villaġġ turistiku fil-qrib, qalb l-għoljiet li jdawru Olbia, imma b’faċċata mill-bogħod lejn il-baħar. U hawn konna, jien f’kamra u Snoop fil-kamra ta’ ħdejja. Ġirien totalment differenti. Jien mill-Mosta. Hu minn Los Angeles. Hu r-“Re tar-Rap” u jien lanqas naf xi tfisser.

Wara ftit irċevejt messaġġ mingħandu li ried ikellimni. Mort għandu mill-ewwel. X’ħin rani ġie jgħannaqni. Minkejja t-tul li għandu (kważi kważi jiekol minn fuq rasi – u jien m’inix qasir) ħassejt li kienet tgħanniqha ta’ tifel żgħir qed jgħannaq lil missieru. Naħseb li minn hawn ġiet l-istorja ta’ “Smoking Joe”.

Talabni żewġ affarijiet u qdejtu mill-ewwel. Tkellimna qisna konna ilna nafu lil xulxin snin twal. Rajt f’għajnejh serenità assoluta. S’issa, imma, ma kontx għadni qed nara l-intelliġenza li eventwalment rajt aktar tard. Imma l-umiltà iva. Diskorsu kien qisu ta’ tarbija. L-ebda traċċa ta’ qżież li normalment huwa assoċjat ma’ min in-natura tatu dak il-ftit aktar u allura seta’ jagħmel żewġ mili aktar fil-ħajja.

U r-relazzjoni bejni u bejn Snoop bdiet minn hawn. Kultant iċempilli u kultant jibgħatli messaġġ li ried ikellimni. Anke fis-sagħtejn ta’ filgħodu. Ma ġara xejn. Xogħli kien li ma jiġri xejn li jista’ jitfa’ f’riskju l-festa privata. U allura waqt li ried nara li dak li kont responsabbli għalih jibqa’ għaddej kif ippjanat, ridt nassigura wkoll li Snoop ikun fl-aqwa kundizzjoni psikoloġika. B’hekk jirrendi ħafna aktar fil-valur meta jiġi t-‘turn’ tiegħu fl-okkażjoni organizzata.

U proprju hekk kien. Għax fil-Pevero Club, Snoop Dogg faqqa’ spettaklu mill-aqwa. Mużika mill-isbaħ u lirika mill-aktar intelliġenti. Anke jien li kważi ma nifhem xejn fil-mużika, ħassejt li dak li kien qed jagħmel Snoop kien ta’ l-ogħla livell dinji. Hekk wkoll smajthom jgħidu l-mistednin distinti li minn warajhom bdejt nagħqad ħalli niskandilja r-reazzjoni tagħhom. Insomma, serata tal-ġenn.

U hekk kif spiċċa, minn fost u minn qalb dawk in-nies kollha, ġie jgħannaqni. U erġajna. Tgħanniqa ta’ tifel żgħir lejn xi ħadd li fih u miegħu seta’ jafda. Min jaf x’qalu dawk il-mistednin VIP. Jgħidu dan min hu??? Mur għidilhom li dan hu t-tifel ta’ Kurċi ta’ ħdejn l-Iskola tal-Mosta. Għal Valeria Marini, Bobo Vieri u oħrajn li kienu hemm, forsi dan il-fatt ma kien ifisser xejn. Imma għal ommi Kurċi konvint li jfisser ħafna.

Il-festa għaddiet u ftit sigħat wara, Snoop u jien erġajna flimkien fuq titjira oħra privata minn Olbia għal Ruma. Wasalna Ruma s-Sibt li għadda fis-7.30 ta’ fil-għodu. Hu kellu ‘connection’ għal Los Angeles fid-9.20. U allura dritt dritt għas-sala tat-titjiriet internazzjonali. L-aħħar tgħanniqa bejn ħbieb veri. U mill-ġdid l-espressjoni “Smoking Joe”. Indur warajja u nara diversi tfajliet jistennew biex jieħdu ritratt ma’ Snoop.

Imxejt lejn ‘taxi’ biex teħodni lejn lukanda f’Ruma li l-klijenti tiegħi kienu bbukkjaw għalija. Irkibt u waqt li x-xufier kien qed jistartja rajt lil Snoop għadu mdawwar jieħdulu r-ritratti. Ma jafx jgħid le. Qatt, meta staqsewh, ma qal le. Dejjem iva. U b’qalb sħiħa u mhux b’nofsha. Dan huwa Snoop Dogg… totalment differenti minn kif ipinġuh jew kif tpinġih il-midja.

U f’Ruma, waqt li dieħel fil-lukanda u waqt li dieħel fil-kamra ma stajtx ma nosservax il-lussu u l-kumdità ma’ kulfejn tħares. L-Exedra tinsab bejn il-Quirinale u l-Istazione Termini, jiġifieri bejn il-Palazz tal-President u l-istazzjon tal-ferroviji.

Ftakart l-ewwel darba li sifirt f’għomri. Ftakart id-dettalji kollha. Fejn mort noqgħod f’Ruma, Corso Principe Amadeo, f’waħda mill-‘pensioni’ eżistenti u li biex tuża l-kamra tal-banju trid tħallas żejjed u trid toqgħod fil-kju. Darba minnhom, biex niffrankaw, konna dħalna tnejn flimkien fil-kamra tal-banju. Kienet is-sena 1976. Tnejn u tletin sena ilu.

Imma l-aktar li ftakart kien il-fatt li kont ngħaddi minn quddiem lukandi ta’ lussu, proprju waħda minnhom l-Exedra, u kont ngħir għal dawk in-nies li kont nara deħlin fihom. Huma f’dak il-lussu u jien f’biċċa ‘pensione’, b’kamra tal-banju li trid taqsam mal-bqija ta’ dawk li kienu fil-lukanda u bl-ikliet ta’ fil-għaxija li kienu jirrispettaw ferm aktar il-prezzijiet milli dak li kien qed jiddetta u jistenna l-istonku.

Iż-żminijiet u l-fortuni jinbidlu u jinqalbu. Imma ma trid qatt tinsa minn fejn tlaqt. U waqt li qiegħed fl-Exedra, waħda mill-aktar lukandi lussużi, ma nistax ma niftakarx kemm hawn persuni li jixtiequ jkunu hawn u ma jistgħux. Eżattament bħalma kont jien 32 sena ilu. Kemm hawn persuni li mhux talli ma jistgħux jiġu hawn, talli lanqas fejn joqogħdu m’għandhom.

Kemm hawn persuni li mhux talli jridu jistennew wara xulxin biex jużaw il-kamra tal-banju, talli m’għandhom l-ebda faċilità sanitarja. Kemm hawn persuni li mhux talli l-prezzijiet ma jirrispettawx dak li jiddetta l-istonku, talli jqumu u jorqdu bil-ġuħ. Kemm hawn persuni li qatt ma ħarġu miż-żona ta’ fejn twieldu. Aħseb u ara kemm siefru.

U hawn kont jien. F’mument melankoniku nirrifletti kemm kont ixxurtjat f’ħajti. X’sagrifiċċji kbar għamlet ommi biex tarani tiela’ ’l fuq ferm u ferm aħjar minn kif telgħet hi. L-istudju li dejjem kienet issus warajja biex ma nittraskurax. L-ansjetajiet li dejjem qsamna flimkien. Il-ferħ u d-dwejjaq. Imma aktarx l-aktar ħaġa kbira li għallmitni hi li qatt ma ninsa minn fejn tlaqt.

Probabbilment għalhekk “Smoking Joe”.