Government investigating 'treason' claims

The Foreign Ministry is investigating newspaper reports quoting newly declassified British records claiming that Ives Debarro, a former Second Secretary at the Maltese Embassy in Tripoli had, in 1971, passed “sensitive” information to D. K. Haskell, an official at the British Embassy, regarding meetings between Maltese delegations and Libyan ministers, the Prime Minister said today.

He was replying to questions in Parliament by Labour MP Alfred Sant, who asked whether the government had any statement on this disclosure, which he described as “a most serious case of national treason”.

The Prime Minister said that on the basis of the investigations, the government would seek legal advice and then act accordingly. The case, he said, dated back 38 years and one had to verify facts.

Dr Sant said that this act by Mr Debarro was public information in the UK under the Freedom of Information Act, and it did not follow that the case should be forgotten because it was 38 years old.

Mr Debarro is at present responsible for arrangements for the repatriation of illegal immigrants.