AFM says its men acted in self-defence

The Armed Forces of Malta yesterday defended the five soldiers who were recalled from a Frontex mission in Greece after they got embroiled in a bar brawl on an island, saying they acted in self-defence.

The issue was brought to light on Wednesday by Frontex, the EU border patrol agency, which condemned the incident and said it was concerned about the behaviour of five soldiers who were arrested on Tuesday after a fight with patrons in the capital of Lesvos, Mytilene.

The army investigated the matter when the soldiers returned on Thursday and yesterday insisted they were acting in self-defence. It rebutted claims in the Greek media that they had beaten up locals with batons and used pepper spray on them after two of the soldiers were kicked out of My Club discotheque in a drunken state.

The army said the two soldiers were attacked by locals for no apparent reason. One of the Maltese soldiers managed to leave the club and called three colleagues to help their mate, who was still inside.

An army spokesman would not say whether the soldiers had used the batons and the pepper spray but confirmed that the men were eventually arrested and charged in a local court for possession of the batons and the spray.

However, in the words of the spokesman, it was legitimate for the soldiers to have such weapons in their car as they were their tools.

The versions reported in the Greek press vary significantly from this account. A local daily in Lesvos, the Empros, reported that five soldiers had returned to beat the doormen and patrons after two of their colleagues were kicked out earlier.

The police were called in to intervene but the locals, who reported the fight, did not wish to pursue charges.

After being questioned by the police, the soldiers returned to their hotel, the Orfeas.

However, according to the army, they were not allowed inside by the management and, at that point, they were attacked for a second time.

The Greek press also reported that six men, some wearing balaclavas, approached the soldiers on motorbikes brandishing metal bars and other weapons. The soldiers scattered, some of them going in the hotel and avoided the fight.

The hotel owner insisted they pack their bags and leave claiming that they had damaged the hotel room they were staying in. A man identifying himself as the receptionist at the Orfeas told The Times over the phone yesterday that this particular group of soldiers had caused trouble from the start.

"We had another group of soldiers but we did not have any problems with them. These guys were trouble from the start."

He said he had had a word with their commanding officer and that things had calmed down for some time but, on the night of the fight, there was a fracas at the hotel again and the owner decided he wanted them out.

However, the army is also contesting the claims for damages by the hotel and said it would insist on this in the court hearing scheduled for October 14.

The army stressed it had recalled the five soldiers in question, together with another two who were on the island, even before Frontex issued its statement.

Sources said it was being felt within the AFM that Frontex could have been too hasty in condemning the incident.

Contacted on the incident, Greek Ambassador Alexandros Rallis said the issue had not been raised at a diplomatic level because Greece felt this was a private issue because the soldiers were off duty.

The Maltese Embassy in Greece could not be contacted.