Brigadier Martin Xuereb would not elaborate on why he refused to take become Malta’s Head Coordinator of Security and Defence. Photo: Darrin Zammit Lupi

Outgoing Armed Forces of Malta commander Martin Xuereb has turned down a government job in Brussels as Malta’s Head Coordinator of Security and Defence, Times of Malta has learnt.

Contacted yesterday, Brig. Xuereb said he had refused the job and when asked the reasons why, he replied it was “for a number of reasons”, adding that he did not wish to elaborate.

“I decided not to go for it and I do not wish to share the reasons,” he said.

A Home Affairs Ministry spokesman said when contacted earlier that Brig. Xuereb had not decided whether to take up the position the Government had offered him: to coordinate security and defence issues in the run-up to Malta’s EU presidency in 2017.

The new position was also cleared by the Public Service Commission.

Brig. Xuereb said the offer had not been withdrawn by the Government.

Yesterday was Brig. Xuereb’s last official day of his terminal leave but he will now start taking up his lengthy accumulated vacation leave.

He is retiring from the AFM after 26 years of service. Meanwhile, his post is being temporarily filled by the AFM’s second in command, Jeffrey Curmi, who was promoted last month.

Col Curmi took over the day-to-day running of the armed forces, although this technically does not imply that he will automatically be promoted to commander.

However, he has long been touted as Brig. Xuereb’s successor.

Col Curmi was among seven army officers who were promoted from majors to lieutenant colonels and then to colonels in the space of two weeks. His promotion to deputy commander was his third in as many weeks.

The ministry spokesman said it had not yet decided who will succeed Brig. Xuereb at the helm of the AFM.

“The minister is actively looking at a number of people,” he said, adding that there was no hurry to appoint a commander.