Christian Peregin
Police superintendent rewarded by online group for scary Marsa comments
Members of an online group called Save Malta from Illegal Immigrants have decided to award a "Man of the Year" plaque to recently-promoted Police Superintendent Silvio Valletta.
Supt Valletta made the news recently when he commented in court that the Maltese people were scared to go to Marsa because of the strong immigrant presence.
He was speaking during a hearing in which an 18-year-old Somali admitted to stealing a pair of sunglasses and other items worth over €233 from a car in Marsa.
The incident happened when the owner of the car had stopped to buy a drink and he was attacked by four men. One of them, not the accused, hit him on the head with a bottle. The other three ransacked his car.
When the police arrived three of the men escaped but the Somali was arrested.
"We are not in Somalia. If they do not have laws there, we have laws here and they have to understand this," Supt Valletta was reported as saying.
Magistrate Michael Mallia handed down a six-month jail term suspended for one year, after taking into account the Somali's age and the fact that he was a first -time offender. Supt Valletta deems the sentence too lenient.
His words received mixed reactions, with some arguing that his comments were racist and others saying it was true that some areas of Malta had become scary because of "ghettos" that were being created.
Contacted for his reaction about the award, Supt Valletta denied making the comments and said the award and similar reactions made him "angry".
"I am a man of justice. I believe everyone should be treated equally. All I said was that we have to ensure Marsa does not become a scary place for the Maltese to be in," he said.
Those who set up the online group on the networking site Facebook, thanked Supt Valletta for being "brave enough to let the Maltese, tourists and legal immigrants know of the danger in certain places".
When contacted, a founder of the Facebook group, Denis Catania, said the award is there for Supt Valletta to collect. If the high-ranking police officer is retracting his comments because of pressure from the government, then "shame on him and shame on the Maltese people for allowing it", Mr Catania remarked.
He agreed that Marsa had become a scary place and that it did not make sense to put an open centre in an area that was already notorious for crime because it had only aggravated the situation further. "They should have put the open centre in Swieqi or Luxol so that the immigrants would be given a better chance," Mr Catania added.
The right-wing party Azzjoni Nazzjonali issued a statement in support of Supt Valletta. "Azzjoni Nazzjonali salutes Superintendent Valletta for having the courage to say the truth as we salute every public officer who, day in, day out, perform their duties under duress to the best of their abilities with limited resources to keep the rest of us safe," AN said.
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21 Comments
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Raymond Sammut
Jan 5th 2009, 03:03
Mr Catania is making a very strong point. These are the words of Supt Valletta: "I am a man of justice. I believe everyone should be treated equally." On this basis, the Marsa open centre should be moved to Swieqi or to Luxol.
@ Dr Gonzi
In my view, your office is obstructing both the police force and the law courts. You are not fit to govern. Please hand in your resignation.
Joe Vella
Jan 3rd 2009, 01:52
@ Denis Catania
Can you tell me where is the Save Malta From Illegal Immigrants office? I would like to visit one day.
Denis Catania
Jan 2nd 2009, 21:17
@Robert Callus: If this award brings out the truth on our government and or the court system. It would serve a better purpose than it intended. The Maltese courts claim there is no transcript??? Do you believe that??? I don't. What are they hiding??? Should the defense or the prosecutor want to appeal the sentence. how will they appeal, without a transcript???
Remember this group is called Save Malta from ILLEGAL Immigrants. Not Save Malta from LEGAL immigration or Save Malta From Africans or Save Malta From non Maltese. So anyone who object to this group is actually condoning ILLEGAL immigration in Malta.
Denis Catania
Jan 2nd 2009, 20:51
@Joseph Calleja and Marvin Mizzi: Well said.
@Tony Cassar; According to a message I received from Christian Peregin( times journalist and author of this article) prior to my interview. The Times tried to obtain a copy, but they were told there was no transcript. Do you believe the government and or the Court system claiming there is no transcript?? I DON'T. I'm not saying all efforts will stop either.
@Lina Warrington: I chose Sweiqi and or Luxor because when in Malta, I stay in Sweiqi. Although I do visit Gzira my beloved multiculture city on a daily basis. I wouldn't want to request them in someone's backyard. Besides I'll be a 2 minute walk away from tent city and Save Malta From Illegal Immigrants can offer help and even take a family or two out for ice-cream once in a while. Until we get help from the EU on the burden sharing or repatriate. Which is the best and only solutions!!! Why, you have fears of them coming to Sweiqi???
Robert Callus
Jan 2nd 2009, 19:38
Doesn't anyone think the Supt refused it because he thought it ridiculous?
At least it gave him the opportunity to explain himself better.
Joseph Calleja
Jan 2nd 2009, 19:10
Why doesn't everybody leave Police Superintendent Silvio Valletta alone and let him take care of business. It seems like Superintendent Valletta is a very dedicated civil servant doing his best to serve the public and not looking for any glory.
So we say thank you to Inspector Valletta, we appreciate your honesty and dedication and let it go at that.....
Marvin Mizzi
Jan 2nd 2009, 18:42
Lets applaud Supr.Valletta and all people of the Poice force in this case and not the forget the army who are doing the utmost to protect us law abiding citizens, What he said was what he experiences in his daily job. Lets be honest with ourselves and accept that is is what Malta has become. Well done to and all of you who do the job for us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Denis Catania
Jan 2nd 2009, 17:49
@Joseph Sciberras: As I quoted to Mr.Peregin the award is Supt:Valletta. This award will be placed in the Save Malta From Illegal Immigrants office. One day his siblings might request it. This is not the only award that was refused. Plenty of people in China afraid to accept awards, plenty of people in Hussien Iraq afraid to accept awards. Plenty of people in pre-Mandela South Africa afraid to accept awards.This award becomes the TOKEN of the oppression the Maltese are facing on this national crisis.
Can you get a copy of the transcript from the hearing??? Now we also know how you feel about the burden sharing among all Maltese. Since the EU don't want to help us with the burden sharing.
@Lind Warrington: You are 100% right we have been asking for that. Visit the petition it will show you our true intentions http://www.gopetition.com/online/21497.html
Tony Cassar
Jan 2nd 2009, 17:33
@ Denis Catania
Mate, do you have any idea of how this country works? The Courts form part of the Administration of the country, but are independent of the Government.
You can go to court and as for a transcript against payment.
Lina Warrington
Jan 2nd 2009, 17:28
Dennis Catania suggested that the government should have put the open centre in Swieqi or Luxol. I can't understand why he should have chosen these two localities. Are we going to start passing problems from one area to another in Malta? What he should have urged the government to do is to send these people back to their country of origin, as other states are doing. That is the only way to ease Malta's problems.
Joseph Sciberras
Jan 2nd 2009, 16:35
@Denis Catania
If I were you I would shut up about the award to Supt Valletta because it is clear what he told you to do with it.
As for your version of "burden sharing" you forgot the immigrants housed in Balzan which you would probably consider to be an upmarket area. When the UK opens an immigrants center in Chelsea I would support the idea of having an open centre near Portomaso or Madliena.
Denis Catania
Jan 2nd 2009, 15:37
@All readers and all Maltese concerned: I'm the Mr.Catania that the article above is referring to. We as a group asked Christian Perigin for a transcript of the court hearing. Mr.Perigin qouted: There was no transcript we did ask for one.
Can you imagine a government keeping a transcript from the public and or the media.
Is this a free Malta???? Is this democracy???? Isn't this scary???? No transcript????
@Sandro Pace: What I said was the center should not be opened in a crime ridden area. Sweiqi would have served better for the illegals and their future. The reason I said that is I have a few friends who told me they wouldn't want an open center at the Luxor.
I also believe what's good for the poor is good for the rich. What's good for the not so elite is good for the elite.What's good for tal peppe is good for the ordinary Maltese. We all scream for burden sharing. let the richer towns in Malta share the burden. Let tal peppe share the burden. Anti illegal immigration will have 99.9% support in Malta not just 90%
lgalea
Jan 2nd 2009, 12:31
What the Superintendent said is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, but the authorities in Malta simply lackey to the eu foreigners petty dictators and the ILLEGAL IMMIGRATS when they should be defending Malta and the Maltese citizens from them.
Joseph Sciberras
Jan 2nd 2009, 12:21
Supt. Valletta did not retract his original comments, he expressed his anger that his comment was misused. Many posters here are still trying to misuse it and falsely claiming that he was made to retract his original one. For those of you who don't know him Supt Valletta is a man of strong principles. He is hardly likely to submit to the type of pressure that is being imagined.
P Debono
Jan 2nd 2009, 11:43
It's a pity that the government that we voted for is the EU's puppet. It cannot stand up for its people, so it seems that it's putting pressure on the superintendent to retract his comments.
With people not even being allowed to air their views these days, I think the world in general is becoming a scary place to live in, not just Marsa...
louise vella
Jan 2nd 2009, 10:49
Superintendet Valletta's comments were not scary at all. They were factual, truthful and down to earth. Do you expect a police officer to speak like a politician who goes round the truth a 100 times and ends up saying nothing?
J Farrugia
Jan 2nd 2009, 10:35
Is this the way to scare public officers from telling the truth?
D. A . Agius
Jan 2nd 2009, 09:46
If anyone want to visit this group, the link is: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=38901422760.
I really liked the comment that Mr. Catania said: why wasn't the open centre put up in Swieqi or some nice up-market area? Would it have been a sin against the property owners there or against voters? If it's like that, is it because really, the location and management of these open centers and their residents is poor to say the least?
louise vella
Jan 2nd 2009, 09:32
Superintendent Silvio Valletta and all the Police Force, as well as the Armed Forces of Malta, deserve the gratitude and support of the Maltese people for doing their duty - and more than their duty - in very difficult circumstances, including the new and far from pleasant circumstances created by illegal immigration.
Sandro Pace
Jan 2nd 2009, 09:31
If what Supt Valletta reported to have said is correct, it is nothing compared to the below:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/judge-youre-a-criminal-youll-be-safe-in-somalia-961402.html
Judge: 'You're a criminal, you'll be safe in Somalia'
And this is in the most politically correct country in the EU. The judge did not retract what he had said with conviction.
One thing I disagree with Mr. Catania. Malta does not need more open centres (or closed ones). Let alone in such touristic areas as mentioned. This, without disrespecting Marsa. However the open-centre immigrant town is situated in the outskirts, a bit far from the town centre.
The govt. has no right to implant any such immigrant centres in the hearts of towns in Malta. And the more space we allocate, the more the EU falsely think that we have no problems.
Joseph Sciberras
Jan 2nd 2009, 09:03
Well done Supt. Valletta for putting those with ulterior motives in their place by not accepting the award.