A new scandal involving tennis rackets has yet again rocked the government.
WhatsApp messages seen by Bis-Serjetà expose a racket racket whereby people close to the Labour Party would benefit from discounted tennis rackets.
People interested in obtaining a racket would send a message to an official in the Sports Ministry. The official would then create a forged membership card for a tennis club, allowing the recipient to enjoy an exclusive members’ discount of up to five per cent from the club’s shop.
Sometimes, the beneficiaries of the racket would not even play tennis, nor have any interest in the sport whatsoever.
“They just wanted a racket because they could get it cheaper. Or in Glenn Bedingfield’s case, so his secretary could bat cupcakes into his mouth from across the room,” the whistleblower who leaked the messages to Bis-Serjetà said.
Minister for Sports and Education Clifton Grima played down the scandal.
“What sort of socialist government would we be if we didn’t help the masses get slightly discounted sports equipment? As Karl Marx wrote in The Communist Manifesto, “From each according to his ability to play tennis, to each according to whether or not they vote Labour.”
Players of other racket sports reacted with anger to the scandal.
“It’s not fair that just because I choose to play an easier sport and vote PN then I don’t get discounts on a racket too,” said badminton player Karl Pace.
Meanwhile, one of the beneficiaries mentioned in the chats is Prime Minister Robert Abela himself. Reacting to the revelations, an OPM spokesperson said:
“The tennis racket was actually for the Prime Minister’s daughter. How could you be so mean as to want to prevent a sweet, innocent little girl from playing her favourite sport? You journalists are all monsters. Away with you, foul beast!”
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