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PN condemns home affairs minister’s ‘interference’ in Security Service job interviews
Nationalist Party says shocking revelation by Manuel Mallia is unprecedented and threat to individual liberties.
28 June 2013, 12:00am
Matthew Vella
Matthew Vella
1 min read
Home Affairs minister Manuel Mallia
The Nationalist Party has described as "shocking" a claim by home affairs minister Manuel Mallia, who declared in parliament that he had sat in for an interview of prospective members for the country's Security Service.
"This news is shocking and constitutes an unprecedented irregularity," the PN said in a statement, taking exception at Mallia's claims that his presence in the interview represented a "new way of doing politics".
"In a country that is supposed to be democratic, this shocking development is a threat to individuals' liberties. It is unheard of, in any democratic country, Malta included, having a minister being directly involved in the Security Service."
The PN said the Security Service enjoys great powers at law, which include the interception of telephone calls and correspondence in the fight against criminality and the protection of national security.
"We condemn the minister's presence in this operation, strongly and without any reservation. We ask Mallia whether he feels he has compromise the independence of the Security Services, and if the prime minister is aware of this interference or whether he blessed Mallia's presence."
The PN said it will not allow the government to manipulate the Security Service for its own aims and undermine civil liberties and individual privacy.
Matthew Vella, a freelance journalist at MaltaToday, was formerly executive editor at Malt...
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Il-PN mhux veru dejjem l-istess u qatt ma jinbidel. Qabel SimonPN kien ihobb jghid "gas down dritt ghal gol-hajt" u issa bidel id-diska wara li hu stess dahal gol-hajt. Issa ghandu Plan B u qed jghid spiss "xokkanti". Peress li issa kollox sar xokkanti, forsi niffrankaw ftit elettriku.
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U ejja mela mhux kulhadd jaf li l-interferenza fi zmien Gonzi kienet rampanti jekk mhux istituzjonalizzata!! Ma tantx qed jintefaw gebel minn dawk li qatt ma ghamlu nterferenzi hux!!!!
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U min heba l-fatt li ic-hief tas-security maghzul minn GonziPN heba u ma irrapurtax li tghajjar ragel? Il-Ministru responsabli tal-PN ma kien jaf xejn miskin?
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How very shocking! The PN would never do that. A few phone calls, a discrete list and the blue-eyed boys would be placed firmly in position. After all, one never knows when and how the Secret Service would come in handy.
Priscilla Darmenia •
The PN again is showing they have a very short memory. They forgot that less than 2 years ago they abused of their power and used the security service to track down Franco Debono and escort him to parliament to vote in favour of the government. The PN are continuously showing us that they never learn and they are still trying to fool us citizens even after the very recent lesson of a land slide defeat in the last elections where they did not fool the citizens with their blurred view of the future and void promises.
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Imma kemm int Melha hsibt li qed fi zmien Mintoff zatat
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Xkumment Banali,vera li il PN miss il qiegh meta dan kien ilu jaghmel ghar min hekk ghax hadd ma sema kif dan il(QADDIS PM)kif kien jaghzel il mazulin ghall dan ix xoghol.
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The PN do not have to scandalize themselves....they were the ones who were being un-democratic in their 25 years tenure when our ID Cards were never updated for nearly 10 years. I just say, please shut-up and let PL get our country get through the mess they left behind. What PL does is for everybody to know...the difference is they PN did everything in secret and that is why the electorate punished them in 'utter darkness'.
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Perhaps the PN would be so kind as to inform the public who had run the Security Service during their time? Was it EGC, or AG, or RCC? Certainly not the Police Commissioner. Then who?
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In the good old days of PN and GONZIPN the Minister did not need to sit on the Interviewing Panel. In those good old days the interview results would have been decided by the Minister and possibly cabinet and then select the interviewing board to submit the choices of the Minister. Maybe Godwin Grima should know about these very normal procedures. It was a foregone conclusion who would be selected and the candidates selected would have been told in advance of the interview. Simple isn't it!!! But for the Minister to sit on the Board and ask some question is highly irregular according to the PN - it is demeaning on the Minister to place himself in such a position and not follow their example.!!!
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Mil ritrat hider li ministru zatat u jipretendija dak u li ser tiehu ghal hames skin.
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The PN's recent history has shown what it's own democratic values were. Same old PN, same old hypocrisy.
