Ombudsman Joseph Said Pullicino.

Government officials refusing to collaborate with the Ombudsman, especially on complaints by army personnel, “undermine” the institution, according to the Nationalist Party.

PN home affairs spokesman Jason Azzopardi said the Ombudsman himself had expressed such a feeling in his annual report.

The Home Affairs Ministry and Ombudsman Joseph Said Pullicino have been at loggerheads for months on who has jurisdiction over complaints by army officers in relation to promotions, pay and pension rights.

A few days ago, Dr Said Pullicino told the House Business Committee that, in the absence of a solution in the foreseeable future, the only available option would be to take the government to court.

The Ombudsman is insisting he is bound to look into such cases and is backing his argument with a General Order the army issued in 2011.

On the other hand, the government is insisting such complaints had to be dealt with by the commander of the Armed Forces of Malta, who would then refer the case to the President. “Nevertheless, last year, when Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Mallia filed a complaint with the commander, and subsequently with President George Abela, he was given no redress because the President would not go into the merits of the case,” Dr Azzopardi said.

“This is a case of heads you win, tails I lose,” he added.

Dr Azzopardi refuted the Prime Minister’s claims that under PN governments various recommendations by the Ombudsman had been ignored.

He noted that in 2011 the Ombudsman lauded the PN administration for taking his recommendations on board regarding a similar dispute involving army members.

Nationalist MP Ryan Callus expressed concern over the Ombudsman’s remarks that several requests for information had been turned down by the government with no justification at all.

Claudette Buttigieg, another Nationalist MP, said the government’s attitude was conveying the message that institutions meant to safeguard citizens’ rights had little power.