Prime Minister’s wife mediates in army disputes – judicial protest

The wife of Prime Minister Joseph Muscat acts as a mediator for Armed Forces personnel seeking redress on disciplinary issues, a judicial protest has revealed.

Gunner Rudy Emanuel Catania is claiming he is being denied a fair hearing in charges issued against him by AFM commander Jeffrey Curmi and deputy commander Mark Mallia. Catania claimed that the AFM is attempting to substitute him for his Sandhurst placing with someone who is “objectively less competent, deserving and able”, by concocting an allegation that he abusively procured himself a medical certificate clearing him for the academy training.

Catania was removed as officer cadet from the AFM in July 2015, denying him eligibility for a long and efficient service medal when he had already been selected by the AFM for a placing at the Royal Military Academy.

Catania says he was refused a request for a redress, as laid down in military law, after he was turned down for his Sandhurst training. In August 2015, he requested redress once again to his officer commanding, but while the request was taken up no reply was forthcoming.

In November, Catania once again requested ‘redress’ for the decision to deny him a placing at the Royal Military Academy, but was not given an answer within the 30-day timeframe laid down in the law.

“It is for this reason that the gunner requested, as other AFM officers in similar disputes have requested, a meeting with Ms Michelle Muscat to contest the decision,” Catania’s lawyers wrote in his protest.

Catania met Muscat on 21 December at Villa Francia, the prime minister’s official residence, together with AFM commander Jeffrey Curmi and deputy commander Mark Mallia.

“Ms Muscat did her best during this meeting to reconcile the two sides, but her efforts were stultified by the intransigence of [Curmi and Mallia], with abusive language and a loud voice, evidently showing their prejudice towards [Catania],” the protest reads.

Catania alleged that Curmi and Mallia were offensive towards him, with Curmi calling him “ignorant” while Mallia alleged that Catania had stolen a medical certificate from the AFM medical branch, something Catania denies.

Catania said that no evidence was presented on these accusations, and no justification was given not to allow him to attend the military academy in Sandhurt, for which he had already been chosen.

He also said that the medical certificate he received was granted to him by Warrant Officer Patrick Barbara of the AFM’s medical branch after he submitted himself to a medical check-up.

Catania also alleged that during the Villa Francia meeting, the commanders told him he was “not worthy of being a soldier because [he] have no integrity” when the 2014-2015 annual confidential report marked him highly for his integrity.

Catania’s protest was filed today ahead of a 10am meeting with Muscat and AFM deputy commander Mark Mallia, whom Catania claims told him to report for duty at the AFM headquarters to face new charges and witnesses who will testify to his guilt.

The protest was filed by lawyers Jason Azzopardi and Kris Busietta.