Ferry Captain Mario Grech this morning accused his employer Gozo Channel of having attempted character assassination when it yesterday replied to his judicial protest on alleged safety shortcomings.

In a new judicial protest filed in the Gozo court, Mr Grech reiterated that the company had ignored his previous complaints, to the extent that a judicial protest he had filed in April 2009 had not even been answered.

Capt Grech said he had been a sailor for 34 years and a captain for 22. He has worked for several years with serious shipping lines abroad and participated in inquires conducted by the Malta Maritime Authority and the Maltese courts. He was, therefore, not the type who would make allegations such as those he had made in his judicial protest last week unless he was sure of his facts.

In this context, while he had not still been officially informed of the inquiry ordered by the Minister of Finance, he looked forward to cooperating with it and hoped it would be conducted by independent, knowledgeable people.

Capt Grech also pointed out that in the wake of his complaints last week, a person who he had suspected of holding fake certificates had been substituted. Instructions had also been issued for sufficient time to be allowed for emergency drills on the ferries.