Muscat, Busuttil to discuss MSS interviews, AD calls for answers to US datagate

Adds reaction by Alternattiva Demokratika

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat will convene an urgent meeting of the Security Committee tomorrow, after Opposition leader Simon Busuttil today called on Muscat to convene the committee that governs the Security Service to examine the administration and policy of the service.

In a written letter to the Prime Minister and distributed to the media, Busuttil voiced his concerns over the "serious and grievous matters" which he wanted to discuss within the Security Committee - a committee set up and regulated by law.

Busuttil welcomed the prime minister's speedy acknowledgment of his request. "The circumstances surrounding the events concerning the Security Service have led the Opposition to voice its concern on the operation of the service in its fight against organised criminality and threats to national security. Any such scrutiny on the Security Service at this time should ideally be happening at the behest of the government, and not on the Opposition's intiative."

Busuttil said it was the Opposition's duty to ensure that public entities, especially the Security Service, are run without any political interference and in full respect of citizens' rights and liberties.

Busuttil's concerns hinge on the presence of Home Affairs Manuel Mallia during an interview for finalist candidates for Security Service recruits. Also present for the interview was Mallia's chief of staff, Silvio Scerri.

"As I already had the opportunity to declare publicly, it is unacceptable that this happens in a democratic country. This issue is extremely dangerous: it undermines the rule of law and the public's trust in the Security Service," Busuttil told Muscat in his letter.

The Opposition leader also requested the presence of the new head of the Security Service, Michael Cassar, to provide all the necessary information.

Mallia has defended his presence at an interview for finalist candidates for Security Service recruits, claiming the same procedure as that employed by the former Nationalist administration had been followed.

"Since the responsible minister is ultimately the person who approves this recruitment, the head of the Security Service felt it should be the minister who is also present for the final scrutiny of the new recruits," Mallia had said.

The PN has since taken the Labour government to task over Mallia's declaration in parliament.

"This news is shocking and constitutes an unprecedented irregularity," the PN has said, taking exception at Mallia's claims that his presence in the interview represented a "new way of doing politics".

The PN described the episode as "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."

Green party Alternatttiva Demokratika said in a statement that the Opposition leader's request was a step in the right direction, as well as the prime minister's acceptance of the request.

"Whilst the Opposition leader is rightly preoccupied by the presence of the home affairs minister for interviews on the recruitment of new members at the Security Service, AD is preoccupied at the way the Security Service Act gives any role to the minister in the recruitment process," deputy chairperson Carmel Cacopardo said.

Cacopardo also said AD was preoccupied at the current state of electronic espionage by the USA on EU institutions and Member States, as revealed by Der Spiegel and whether Malta's Security Service was in any way prepared to defend Malta's interests in this respect. "Whilst AD has no role in the Security Committee, we hope the Security Service will run above party politics."

AD spokesperson on IT Henrik Piski said that while it law enforcement authorities need a warrant to search private property, the US government had authorized illegal violations of citizens' privacy in the name of the fight against terrorism. "EU governments need to protect the data of their citizens. We fully support the European Parliament's Green Group President Daniel Cohn Bendit's proposal to suspend all EU-US negotiations on free trade until this alleged flagrant breach of human rights has been fully investigated."

AD Chairperson, Prof. Arnold Cassola, concluded: "Rather than wasting his and the people's time by interviewing prospective Secret Service candidates or organizing the catering roster for policemen turned waiters, Minister fManuel Mallia should intervene with the US authorities to ensure that Malta's people are not being spied upon electronically."