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Updated | AFM’s new deputy commander ‘friend of the Muscat family’ – Azzopardi
Opposition has filed judicial protest calling for repeal of colonels' promotion.
4 October 2013, 12:00am
Matthew Vella
Matthew Vella
2 min read
Home affairs minister Manuel Mallia was accused by the Opposition of promoting Labour sympathisers to senior ranks.
The new deputy commander of the Armed Forces is Colonel Jeffrey Curmi, the government announced in its gazette.
Curmi was one of the four majors who was promoted to lieutenant colonel, and then colonel, within a matter of two weeks.
He was formerly head of the bomb disposal unit, which also handles explosive ordinance imported to Malta.
The Nationalist Party has filed a judicial protest demanding the repeal of Curmi and three other colonels' promotions by the home affairs minister, Manuel Mallia.
Brigadier Martin Xuereb tendered his resignation as commander of the Armed Forces of Malta last week, to take up a position in Brussels on defence-related matters
Nationalist MP Jason Azzopardi described Curmi as "a good friend of Prime Minister Joseph Muscat's family because of his work in explosives."
The reference is intended at the fact that Muscat's father is an importer of fireworks material.
"Muscat's claims of meritocracy amount to nothing yet again with three promotions in three weeks for Curmi, who ha sless than 10 years' experience than other colonels," Azzopardi said.
According to MPs Beppe Fenech Adami and Jason Azzopardi, former majors Pierre Vassallo, Mark Mallia, Jeffrey Curmi and Mark Said were promoted to lieutenant colonel, and now promoted to colonels despite having doubtful credentials. Vassallo himself was denied a security clearance in 2006 due to a past incident.
Fenech Adami said the promotions had led to the resignation of the AFM commander. "Today we have a government that is undermining the people's trust in the Armed Forces. It looks as if this government has no limits as to the extremes it will reach in pleasing its own associates."
The government says that Xuereb had accepted to retire from his post. "The Brigadier will continue to serve the government in a similar role. Brigadier Xuereb said that he was looking forward for the new challenges which lie ahead. The Minister for Home Affairs thanked Brigadier Xuereb for his loyalty to the country and for his personal loyalty to the minister. Malta will continue to benefit from Brigadier Xuereb's capabilities in the future."
Azzopardi said that the government should publish all interview results and the marks each candidate received from the selection committee, in the name of transparency. This request has been turned down by Mallia.
Matthew Vella, a freelance journalist at MaltaToday, was formerly executive editor at Malt...
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@camillu. Personalment aktar ninkwieta nara haddiema u missirijiet ta' familji shah jispiccaw bla xoghol ghax il-PN tefagghhom l'barra, mela ghax saru promozzjonijiet fl-armata. Oxxenita` hija meta tiftahar b'finanzi fis-sod imbaghad niskopru li kellkom partit fallut, bankrupt. Mhux kapaci jiehdu hsieb il-finanzi tal-PN, ahseb u ara tal-pajjiz!!! U jibqaw jghidulna li hallew il-pajjiz fi stat tajjeb. Tista tifhmu dan il-genn pur?
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Dear Jason, do these 2 sayings remind you of something;
1. let him who is without blemish throw the first stone.
2. people who live in glasshouses should not throw stones
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Jien qed nisma sew? Jason Azzoppardi jitkellem fuq promotions u rizultati tal-interviews? Ghax ma tarawx it-tbazwir sfrenat li kien hemm fid-dipartiment ta' l-edukazzjoni minn shabek u minn dik il-Union taghkom li taparsi taqbez ghal-haddiem? Mur investiga hemm San Jason Azzoppardi ha naraw imbaghad tmurx taghmel xi konferenza teatrin.
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Tajba u tahraq Dr Azzopardi, veru bniedem tal-Klikka. Biex wiwehed ikun habib kbir tieghek irid ikun Nazzjonalista. Mela ghalekk tajtu il-garaxx lill tal-Belt ghax Nazzjonalist. Li kien laburist u ghandu bzoonnu mhabba sahha ma kontx itihulu
Joe Tanti •
Miskin Jason,qieghed jipprova jidher u jitfa lilu I-nifsu l-quddiem ghax ghandu l-hsieb l-forsi jkun il-leader tal PN, ghax jaf li Simple Simon ma ghandux hajja twila bhala leader tal partit bic-cucatti li qieghed jghid u jaghmel. Imma miskien Jason qieghed jazzaq fl-ilma ghax cans ma ghanux ma l-familji Demarco u Fenech Adami.
Jason kont nghamlek izjed intelligenti.Miskin int ma intix nazzjonalista DOC.Qeghdin jirfawk fuq quddiem u haddiehor sejjer juzak sabiex tkun sagrifikat u servi ta sellum ghal xi Demarco, Fenech Adami jew anke forsi xi Mifsud Bonnici.
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So being a friend of the Muscat family ought to automatically disqualify you from a promotion that you have been bypassed for so many years, probably for the same reason, Mr meritrocratic Azzopardi, what crap coming from yet another 'saint ' who has his eyes set on being the next soon to be leader of the P N
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Nationalist MP Jason Azzopardi described Curmi as "a good friend of Prime Minister Joseph Muscat's family because of his work in explosives." This statement speaks volumes. What about Col Mark Mallia? Any surprises?
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@ Michael76..... really are you asking what has to do with the injustices carried out by the PN?
these four should have been in such posts for several years now but for them not being PN diehards meant not being promoted when they should have been promoted and this also means they lost money and experience! thousands of hundreds of people in the police, army and civil servants had not been granted promotions just for not being PN diehards! personally i have been discriminated for not being PN as from University as i have lost some working opportunities while being in uni! also my father should have been manager for 10 years but had been denied such promotions by the PN just because he was labour. instead an ex PN minister's friend and canvaser was appointed even though he was illiterate with no experinece in the work. and by the way my father was arrogantly told he would not get the promotion for being Labour and that he would have to remain their servant until the pn was in power! even though the ombudsman and the law courts were with my father he was still denied promotion by the pn! however unfortunately we cannot get justice since he passed away! and mr michael76 i have also some stories i might share on my father's death and an ex PN minister comments!
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Skond Jason Azzopardi 'meritokrazzija' tfisser li siehbu u habibu li qabez lil NGOs u inghata garage prezzjuz gol-belt, jibqa jiffanga hu.....waqt l-ohrajn jikkripaw, jikkonslaw u jiddispraw ghax tkellem l-oraklu tal-meritokrazija?
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Dan camillu qed isir purcinell aktar minn Simon Busuttil. Kollu tort ta' l-ugiegh ta' zaqq illi ghandu. Miskin.
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This is totally disgusting - how can the Government justify promoting certain AFM staff three times in three weeks?
I am surprised that we even have to explain why this behaviour is shocking. In any civilised European country, the Minister would have resigned ages ago.
What do injustices carried out by the Nationalists have to do with this case? This doesn't justify the fact that the Labour Government is trampling over our basic rights.
Apart from the fact that our democracy is at stake, Malta is going to lose its credibility fast.
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chikku .......on reading your note, I suddenly realised that Robert Mugabe criminals are all over Malta...and you changed my heart and mind to start following Simple Simon in thinking ( unlike Moody`s, unlike world statesmen, unlike All Europe, unlike all China, unlike the Maltese constituted bodies, unlike the HUGE absolute majority of the Maltese) that Malta is the worst place to live in
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Prosit camillu ibqa ikteb hekk,...u isma min Simon halli jerga jsabtek mal hajt... kif sabbat lill haddiema tal partit Nazzjonalista ghax dawn belghua li il finanzi fis sod.
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What is the Gonzi-Simon-PN afraid of? That they might be caught dancing with criminals as they did way back? And these avvokatini,...are they after personal lime ,light as they are afraid that their old corrupt contacts have lost their holding on the throat of the nation?
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What is the Gonzi-Simon-PN afraid of? That they might be caught dancing with criminals as they did way back? And these avvokatini,...are they after personal lime ,light as they are afraid that their old corrupt contacts have lost their holding on the throat of the nation?
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Bl-istess argument ghalhekk mela ma lahaqx ghax kien habib tal-familja Muscat...
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Not even Robert Mugabe would have had the audacity. Talk about "only in Malta".
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Mela la tafu Joseph sellilna ghalih u ghidlu biex jiehu hsieb lil laburisti lewwel ax Jason nesa qabel lelezzjoni lil min tah il garaxx tal belt u lil mauro bonnici tah dak il post ra limsida. Jinsew xghamlu fi zmienhom. Keep it up Joseph.
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Perfectly normal behaviour in Malta. Friends of friends and all that. Don't expect any difference with this new (sic) government.
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this opposition seems to be concentrated on the invention of obstacles of hot air which soon dissipate into ineffectual vapour, serving, simply, the delay of more important national issues.
W.D. Tyler. Il veru ilqatt il-musmar fuq rasu.
L-unika risposta li wiehed jista jtihom hi li ihalihom ihambqu u ma jaghtix kashom. minn ghandu ftit zmien sewwa jiftakar l-Istorja tal-hmar li libes gild a Ljun biex ibezza n-nies.Tant ferah
bis-succes li kiseb li fetah halqu u.....NAHAQ u kullhadd induna x'kien
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get a life Jason
and Camillu, count form 1 to 36,000 please.
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SM, jekk tahseb li l-Gvern ta' Gonzi kien dittatur/faxxist/nazist - kliem li joghqodu sew ghal nies bhalek - allura dan xi Gvern hu? Gvern immorali u mill-aghar.
Sagitarius, int trid lil haddiehor ikun matur. Int ipokrita ghax ghax ma kont matur fil-kummenti tieghek. Kemm inbdilt malajr minn kif kont tara l-affarijiet qabel. Issa m'ghadekx titkaza. Veru pulcinell.
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Zunzan, jien m'ghandi minn hadd; mhux bhalhekk. Tidher li wiehed mill-klikka ta' josephmuscat.com u ghalhekk qed tiddefendi dan il-qerq u ngann. M'ghandix ghalfejen norqod 30 sena ghax m'ghandi bzonn lil hadd. Tklunx gifa u tibqa' thalli lil min jghaddik biz-zmien bil-buzullotti li qed jaghmel.
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..... jimporta jekk xmun tal-gel, Mario bin guido, beppe bin eddie u said (iben ma nafx min) jghidulna min kien il-habib tal-brigadier xuereb meta nhatar hames snin ilu u qabez gzuz u gzuz ta' fizzjali li kienu jigu qablu?
Jason ma fetahx halqu dak iz-zmien ..... forsi ma kienx isib hin ghax kien ikollu joqghod jaghmel xagharu dak iz-zmien ..... bil-ferq u bil-gel .... bhal leader tieghu tal-lum probabbli ....
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Jien naf b''Commanders'!! Nazzjonalisiti li la ghandhom first degree u anqas saru officers minn Sandhurst!
Imbaghad naf b'ufficjali laburisti li marru Sandhurst, saru pilots, gew maqbuza ghal 20 sena shah, marru courses barra minn Malta-f'kull kontinent u kellhom jitilqu mill-Armata ghax ma felhux aktar!
Meritokrazzija tfisser li minn gie maqmuz jinghata l-gustizzja u mhux issa inhallu lil minn sofra ikompli jigi maqbuz minn kellu biss pedigree blue!
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Wahda isbah minn ohra. Issa qed jitkazaw ghax dan l-individwu huwa habib tal familja ta JM, ghax bhal dak li qallu li tkun habib tal familja ta JM huwa xi dnub u li b'hekk ma tista tokkupa l-ebda kariga. Tal PN bhal donnhom ghadhom mifxulin u hlief bsaten fir roti u jibku biki tal kukkudrilli mhux jaghmlu. Issa litteralment qed jitilfu kull nitfa kredibilta li kien ghad baqalhom wara id-damdima tad 9 ta'Marzu.
Luke Camilleri •
How funny can Jason Azzopardi get .... Should Joseph Muscat choose a friend of Jason ?
Joseph Muscat has at least 42,186 friends on FB, Michel must also have a few of her own and most certainly their wonderful angels do also have friends of their own as well!
SHOULD ALL THESE BE EXCLUDED FROM EVERYTHING ?
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As one of the individuals referred to by Dr Fenech Adami; let me please correct his widespread assumption. I, and I am sure many others, are confident that had any untoward actions been committed against Brig. M. Xuereb, then he himself would have had, and still has, every opportunity to substantiate and enlighten Dr. Fenech Adami’s claims in regards to his future and current career moves, including the possible reasons behind recent senior promotions/reorganisations in regard to the excellent Armed Forces of Malta. Unfortunately, for a credible opposition, which is after all healthy in any democracy, this opposition seems to be concentrated on the invention of obstacles of hot air which soon dissipate into ineffectual vapour, serving, simply, the delay of more important national issues. Is this really the only future strategy that this opposition can muster?
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@camillu. Issa saru hziena appointments fl-armata? Qabel x'kienu? Ma kienux oxxeni skont int, issa iva u dakinhar le? Int lill-kurunell Curmi tafu? Taf jekk kienx maqbuz qabel? Il-kummissarji tal-pulizija mhux b'decizzjoni/ghazla politika saru qabel? Taghkom kollox pur bhal angli u tal-PL kollox oxxen, infami u ma nafx x'aggettivi ohra strambi tuzaw? Issa se tibdew taqaw f'dawn il-paraguni bla sens? Nahseb ikun jaqbel li l-opposizzjoni tkun aktar matura u serja.
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@camillu
jekk dan il gvern oxxen il gevrn ta gonzipn xkien? dittatur/faxxist/nazzist?
fl ahhar gustizzja qed issir ma min gie imsawwat mill pn! faddal eluf ohrajn xi ssir gustizzja maghhom!
Paul Pandolfino •
This person must be bright indeed to have three promotions in as many weeks. He must surely be brilliant. What about publishing his credentials.
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Hu pacenzja Camillu. Zmien il-hnizrijiet taghkhom ghadda. Issa zmien li ssir gustizzja ma min inqabez fil-promotions jew twarrab fil-genb. Il-loghba nafu nilghabuha daqskhom. Mela hsibtu Alfred Sant lili Joseph Muscat? Jekk xbajt mur orqod u wake up when it's all over...30 sena ohra!!
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Donnu Dr Azzopardi tah genn jidher sabieh quddiem il Cameras. Dr Azzopardi tista tghidilna kell il interview ippublikajtu perezempju tal kumissarju Gejtu cushieri ex head of security tal PN, ta Prof Bonnici Gvernatur tal Bank Centrali ex Ministru tal PN,Ta Alan Camilleri CEO Malta enterprise, Manuel Delia, Anton attard CEO PBS, Natalino Fenech ex Head of News PBS,
Dr Azzopardi qed tidher wish u l-publicita bhal ikel hafna mill istess taqbdek indigistjoni.
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Gvern infami u oxxen bħal dan pajjizna ghad irid jara. Gvern mibni fuq il-gideb biss. Dalghodu l-Ministru Mallia stqarr li ghadha ma ttehditx decizjoni dwar il-Kmandant il-gdid. Kollox mahdum bizzilla. Issa Curmi jonqsu biss ir-raba' u l-ahhar promozzjoni fi zmien ftit granet. Xi hmieg ta' gvern wekkiena bih josephmuscat.com
