Quotes of the week

"Disgusted."
Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi describing how his government felt about Italy's refusal to rescue or accept a boat of migrants near to Lampedusa.

"A twist in the fight against illegal immigration."
Italian Home Affairs Minister Roberto Maroni describing the agreement between Italy and Libya that allowed Italy to take 227 migrants rescued at sea near Lampedusa back to Tripoli.

"I would go, and could not blame him if he does."
Jim Swire, the father of a 24-year-old Lockerbie bombing victim, in response to news that the Libyan government has asked for Abdel Basset al-Megrahi, the man he believes was wrongly convicted for the bombing, to be transferred from Scotland to Libya.

"That's justice for you, everyone trampling on the weak."
The father of Charles Demicoli, who was acquitted of killing Filipino sailor Perfecto Montalban in a brawl at Cherries Bar in Birzebbuga in 2000, but jailed for six years for his part in the brawl.

"Prosit, prosit." (Well done.)
Seventeen fish hawkers praising Magistrate Jaqueline Padovani Grima, who seemed to sympathise with them for being brought to court repeatedly over three years because health inspectors keep finding their fish is not kept at 8°C in the market place.