Police probe EP candidate over 'racial hatred'

The government has asked the Commissioner of Police to investigate European elections candidate Norman Lowell on the grounds that he incited racial hatred.

The police have been instructed to institute criminal proceedings against Mr Lowell should they find sufficient proof of this, a government spokesman told The Times.

Standing under the banner of Imperium Europa, he obtained 1,603 first-count votes during last Saturday's election and was eliminated after the second count.

A hard-line stance on immigration was at the heart of his electoral manifesto. He was very categorical about the issue of illegal immigrants - he said they would be given a choice: name their country of origin, or else be forcibly expelled.

"Boatloads of invading aliens would be mercilessly shot at sea," was one policy that shocked many.

His manifesto continued: "In Europe and the US, our scientists are denied genetic experimentation, while other countries, our racial enemies have free reign and are now reaping the benefits."

During the electoral campaign he said he was forming a new right-wing political grouping called Nuova Europa, which would draw in federalists such as the Lega Nord and other far-right parties like Jean Marie Le Pen's Front National and Joerg Haider's party.

Mr Lowell was at odds with the Malta Gay Rights Movement. In a questionnaire returned to the lobby, Mr Lowell had said: "We are not going to let homos and lesbians teach or be in contact with our children. We are not going to let you come close to our children. Keep it in mind!"