Home Affairs Minister Manuel Mallia will not be part of Security Service interviews any longer, Opposition leader Simon Busuttil was assured during the emergency security committee meeting on Tuesday, The Sunday Times of Malta has learnt.
Sources described the two-hour meeting held at Castille as “tense” but that Dr Busuttil and the Prime Minister agreed not to raise further doubts in the Security Service.
The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, Foreign Minister George Vella, Security Service chief Michael Cassar, Dr Mallia and Dr Busuttil, who requested the meeting.
This is an area the country cannot afford to have suspicions about
Dr Busuttil expressed confidence in the Security Service after the meeting, telling the press his concerns were all addressed.
What was agreed at the meeting remained unclear because neither Dr Busuttil nor Dr Muscat would give details. Dr Mallia also kept his lips sealed during an interview with The Sunday Times of Malta.
But a source told this newspaper that Dr Busuttil was given reassurances that there would be no more interference.
“It was clear that it was unacceptable for the minister to sit in the interview process and that the PN would be keeping a close eye on this in the future.
“If this area is abused or seen to be taken over by the Government, they know the PN will speak. And this is an area the country cannot afford to have suspicions about,” the source added.
If this area is abused or seen to be taken over by the Government, they know the PN will speak
Meanwhile, the PN’s spokesman refused to give official details about the meeting, saying only that the party obtained assurances that the Security Service would not be used as a partisan tool. “The Opposition will continue to scrutinise the operations of the Malta Security Service in a constructive manner so as to put the public’s mind at rest on this critical institution. To this end, the Leader of the Opposition will request meetings of the Security Committee as necessary to ensure that the scrutiny on the Malta Security Service will continue.”
However, the spokesman clarified that the confidence expressed in the MSS did not mean he had faith in the minister or his chief of staff.
“On the contrary, it is precisely because of the Opposition’s disappointment in the conduct of the minister and his chief of staff that the meeting was called in the first place,” the spokesman said.