Beware the Media in a "Feeding Frenzy".

How quickly they forget - the Media, I mean.

I am sure that you will recall, that Dr David Kelly, a British Weapons Expert, got caught up in a Media interview about the so-called Weapons of Mass Destruction which were supposed to be in Iraq. He subsequently was grilled in Parliament, in a hearing which resembled in style the grilling handed out to Godwin Grech last week in Canberra.

The substance of the David Kelly matter was much more serious:
... "David Christopher Kelly CMG (May 14, 1944 – July 17, 2003) was an employee of the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence (MoD), an expert in biological warfare and a former United Nations weapons inspector in Iraq.

... "Kelly's discussion with Today Programme journalist Andrew Gilligan about the British government's dossier on weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in Iraq inadvertently caused a major political scandal.
... "He was found dead days after appearing before the Parliamentary committee charged with investigating the scandal."
... Source: Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Kelly_(weapons_expert)

The matter at hand the other day relates to a supposedly fake email, purporting to have come from the Prime Minister's Office. The subject matter is by all reasonable assessment - trivial - supposed assistance to a car dealer in getting finance.

However, the manner of the Media's treatment of the poor guy at the centre of this "Storm in a Tea Cup" is far from trivial. He was grilled last Friday in a Senate Estimates Committee hearing, for about two hours. His immediate supervisor and the Minister presiding over the hearing both sought to prevent him from answering questions. By all accounts they "monstered him".

There is a possible alternative interpretation that they were trying to protect him from himself. Why?
Perhaps they already knew - what I believe - that this guy is too honest for his own good. He cannot bring himself to lie. If so, then I fear for him.

This morning's media reports that Godwin Grech's house was "egged" last night. That is hardly life threatening - unless one is already of a fragile psychological disposition.
By all accounts this guy is very quiet, very private.
Thanks to the Media exposure, any hooligan with a political motive knows where he lives and can go and harrass the poor guy.

Let us not forget the tragic outcome of the David Kelly case.

Before it is too late, the Media ought back off Godwin Grech's case.

I have deliberately not linked to any Media stories. If you have not heard of this story, I would be amazed. But I do not wish to add to the feeding frenzy, by posting any links.

If it transpires that someone with a political motive deliberately set up Godwin Grech, by sending the fake email to him - because they know he is so "straight" that he would not imagine it to be a hoax - then I hope that the full power of the law descends upon that person (and his or her fellow conspirators).

UPDATE: WEDNESDAY 24 JUNE
Well, I am glad that I gave Godwin the benefit of the doubt. But it now appears he might not have deserved it.
Today's papers say he has been a "Liberal Party Mole" for years - providing leaked information from Treasury to them.
If that is true, then the bureaucracy will deal with him.
And so they should.

As an old Public Servant I have known such people, and I despise them. Standards of service need to be upheld.
Traitors deserve to be punished - and the bureaucracy has a million ways of doing that.

Or else, he could do the decent thing, and resign. But then he would probably end up a Liberal Party hero.
Better that the Bureaucracy bury him in a room with no window, no in-tray, no out-tray, and especially no telephone or computer.
They can do that, you know!

DJW