Did Malta Central Bank employees break out into a rapturous chorus of ‘Viva l-Labour’ during their annual Christmas party last month?

NET TV programme Sorsi Infurmati recently published grainy black and white footage of a party, which they claimed was taken by a Central Bank employee.

“Unfortunately, we have been informed that not everything at the bank is being carried out seriously and professionally,” the presenter said. “The bank’s annual Christmas party degenerated into chants of Viva l-Labour while renowned PL-supporting employees were hoisted on people’s shoulders and celebrated in front of everyone. Employees, including PL supporters, were left with a sense of disappointment.”

The footage is likely to have sent shivers down the spine of people who fear the Labour government has wrested total control over the country’s authorities. However, all may not be as it seems, and this footage has now ended up the subject of a dispute between the political parties’ TV stations.

ONE TV presenter Karl Stagno Navarro yesterday claimed NET had manipulated the footage by editing a video of people partying at a nightclub and superimposing chants of PL supporters celebrating victory at the electoral counting hall over it. Indeed, he noted that the chants in the ‘Central Bank’ video include sounds which sound suspiciously like the traditional perspex banging in the counting hall.

He also noted that an ‘expert’ interviewed by NET during the programme had been suspended from the bank a few years ago after he was found to have allegedly passed on sensitive information to former PN MP Tonio Fenech.

“I have exposed how the PN has stooped to a new low by fabricating news and manipulating visuals and audio to deliberately attempt to damage the Central Bank,” Stagno-Navarra tweeted. “It is time to shame these clowns. European Central Bank, please take action.”

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Tim Diacono

Tim is interested in the rapid evolution of human society and is passionate about justice, human rights and cutting-edge political debates. You can follow him on Instagram or Twitter/X at @timdiacono or reach out to him at [email protected]