Lt Colonel files judicial protest against Nationalist MPs

Recently promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, AFM member Pierre Vassallo has filed a judicial protest against the deputy leader of the Nationalist Party Beppe Fenech Adami and Opposition's spokesman for national security Jason Azzopardi.

Vassallo is alleging that the two MPs "abusively" accessed his personal information.

In accusing the Labour government of "taking over" the army, Azzopardi referred to one of four recent promotions and claimed that Vassallo had been denied a security check in 2006 because of an incident which happened in 1986.

According to Azzopardi, the 1986 incident had led disciplinary steps being taken against Vassallo who was also fired from the Police Corps. He was subsequently enrolled within the Armed Forces of Malta.

While on a local television programme the Nationalist MP said he obtained his information from the constitutional case filed by Vassallo himself, the Lt Col has argued that the case was filed in the absence of a justified reason for his no security clearance in 2006.

In his judicial protest, Vassallo's lawyers argued that given no reasons emerged from the court case, then the two MPs had retrieved their information abusively.

The protest also states that Azzopardi's and Fenech Adami's allegations could lead people to believe that Vassallo was not promoted on his merit.

He also exhibited a recommendation dated 11 October 2002, recommending Vassallo for the promotion. By then, Vassallo was already occupying the role of Major.

The lawyers said that Vassallo has now been promoted to the rank for which he was recommended 11 years ago by Brigadier Rupert Montanaro.

Vassallo has called on Azzopardi and Fenech Adami to refrain from making further allegations and to their source behind their claims.

The judicial protest was signed by lawyers David Camilleri, Joseph Gatt and Veronique Dalli.