Labour and the Yioham disaster,1996

The worst disaster at sea involving human trafficking occurred a few miles off the Sicilian coast in 1996.

The journey started in Malta on Christmas Day and ended in disaster on Boxing Day 1996. In this tragedy 283 persons drowned.

On March 13, 2009 it was announced that Ahmed Sheik Turab had been found guilty of the deaths of 283 individuals and he has been sentenced to 30 years imprisonment.

Mr Turab, a Pakistani national, operated with impunity from Malta in 1996. It has been claimed in court that for this trip alone, the 400 Asians paid more than $1.2 million.

Human trafficking is big business. There is no evidence that any concrete action was taken against Mr Turab or any of his colleagues by the Labour government at the time.

Should not his assets, for instance, have been impounded? His bank accounts frozen?

I hardly ever criticise the Labour Party nowadays - they do it so well themselves.