Malta asks US for information

The Foreign Ministry has requested information from the United States regarding claims that CIA flights carrying detainees to secret interrogation centres had landed in Malta.

On Monday, the British government admitted that aircraft suspected of being used in CIA operations had landed at British military airfields.

The Maltese government said on Wednesday night the permanent secretary at the Foreign Ministry had requested information from the American government through a meeting with US Ambassador Molly Bordonaro.

Following revelations by British Armed Forces Minister Adam Ingram, the permanent secretary also asked for an urgent meeting with the Chargè d'Affaires at the British High Commission requesting more information on what had been reported.

The Labour Party spokesman for foreign affairs, Leo Brincat accused the government of deceiving the people when it declared that no CIA flights transporting detainees to secret prisons had landed in Malta.

Mr Brincat said the government had told the European Council that no CIA flights had landed in Malta. "It is humiliating that the government needs to ask the British authorities for information regarding state security having failed to investigate the allegations in the first place," Mr Brincat said.

A ministry spokesman, however, said Mr Brincat's statement was "inaccurate", denying that the government had deceived the people.

"The government had declared that no public official or any other person in public office had been involved in any CIA flight, whether by action or by omission, as far as is known," the spokesman said.

"The government took note of the assurances given by US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice that the US government did not make use of European airports to transport detainees bound for torture camps," the ministry said.

The ministry said the government was still looking into the issue and would continue doing so.