Malta should reduce size of rescue area - AD

Malta should relinquish a large part of its disproportionately large search and rescue region until it was given sufficient financial and human resources to man it, Alternattiva Demokratika chairman Arnold Cassola said yesterday.

Referring to comments made by Italian Home Affairs Minister Roberto Maroni, Prof. Cassola said the Maltese government should not give in to Italy's bullying tactics.

The two countries are at loggerheads over the fate of over 150 immigrants rescued from two separate boats by a Turkish cargo ship near Lampedusa.

Mr Maroni was a member of the right-wing Lega Nord party, well known for its xenophobic and racist attitudes, and he was taking such a stance because of the upcoming EP elections, Prof. Cassola said.

Prof. Cassola said the Italian minister knew that international law obligated ship captains to take any rescued immigrants to the closest country, which in this case was Lampedusa.

Prof. Cassola also spoke about the recent case of alleged fraud in the VAT department, saying it was a cause for concern that the scam went undetected for so long. The fraud, which is believed to run into millions of euros, was an insult to all those who paid their VAT and taxes on time, he said.