Shadow minister Jason Azzopardi told Parliament on Tuesday the government had dismantled the benefits gained by the Armed Forces of Malta since 1996.
Dr Azzopardi quoted at length an article by Martin Scicluna in Times of Malta last October, saying one had to take note of the heavy criticism of the political management taking place in the AFM.
He had warned that all the painstaking good work of the past 17 years risked being dismantled by this heavy-handed poli-tical interference.
After more than a year at the helm, this quasi-frivolous amendment was what the government came up with.
Although one was bound to agree with it, it was not a particularly effective amendment, Dr Azzopardi said.
He said he was amazed by how Dr Mallia had failed to tell the truth and twisted facts.
Although Dr Mallia claimed it was the Opposition who was undermining the AFM, the government was doing a good job itself.
Denying the Ombudsman information was not the sign of a liberal government.
The past year has been described as a black year for the AFM. Mr Scicluna wrote it was disheartening to learn that David Attard, the most militarily professional member of the AFM, had had to resign because of crass political management.
For the first time in history the top brass of the AFM was not staff college-trained.
Reorganisation of the border patrol squad was not because of demoralisation but an issue of payback time
It was also incorrect to imply that those who today occupied the roles of Commander and Deputy Commander were in some way marginalised or overlooked when it came to studying abroad.
Neither of them ever reported this alleged injustice to the Ombudsman, appealed or even applied to study abroad.
To use Mr Scicluna’s words, “incompetence and bootlicking were being rewarded”. The result was demoralisation across the board, no matter what political beliefs. The new AFM leaders were at best “very limited” and at worst “incompetent”.
Dr Azzopardi said it was worrying that the government had no strategy for the AFM.
The minister had said that reorganisation of the border patrol squad had been carried out because of widespread demoralisation.
This was not true. It was an issue of payback time. Tens of vindictive transfers had been made at all levels of the armed forces under the present government.
He urged the government to present the initiatives planned for the AFM.
It was a pity that due to the current administration, a number of serious colonels had left the armed forces after being transferred. Brigadier Martin Xuereb had also been edged away.
Dr Azzopardi noted that none of the colonels currently working at headquarters had undergone staff training abroad. This was an international benchmark that was not being adhered to.
The Opposition was in no way criticising individual soldiers but the politically appointed management.
With regard to accelerated promotions, the minister had failed to table the documents showing the Attorney General’s advice. The accelerated promotions showed that the government was awarding incompetence, lack of experience and lack of qualifications.
He also referred to transfers within the AFM, claiming that a female officer with 21 years’ experience had been transferred to the detention service in the Safi camp where the 150 irregular immigrants were all male.
This was a case of cruelty and vindictiveness especially when her husband, who was a colonel, had also been transferred to the detention services after successfully completing military monitoring operations near the Somali coast.
This colonel had also been sidelined, with promotions given to people of a lower rank.
He also referred to the tanker that defied court orders and stealthily left Maltese territorial waters when anchored three miles off the Mellieħa coast while armed patrol boats were on duty in the Grand Harbour.
Interjecting, Dr Mallia asked Dr Azzopardi to refrain from commenting on the matter since an inquiry had been launched. Dr Azzopardi asked whether this inquiry had been established under the Inquiries Act.