The parents and brother of Gunner Matthew Psaila, the soldier who died in a training exercise earlier this year, have filed a judicial protest against Alfred Sant after comments he made in a television interview yesterday.

Anthony and Mary Psaila and their son Joseph noted that during Dissett, on PBS, Dr Sant mentioned, as an example of the government's power of incumbency and clientelism, "the case of the young soldier who died during a military exercise".

They said that in their view, Dr Sant had no right to involve Matthew in a political argument for two main reasons:

It was not true that Matthew was recruited "shortly before the elections" but actually after the elections, the parents said.

Furthermore, it was not ethically correct of Dr Sant to criticise the governemnt by referring to a person who had died and who was never in public life.

Dr Sant was also seriously mistaken when he alleged that Matthew Psaila was not suitably qualified because he did not know how to swim. Swimming was not part of the requirements for joining the army.

They called on Dr Sant to withdraw his allegations and held him responsible for damages.

Earlier, the government and the PN also rejected Dr Sant's claims.

See

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20091021/local/government-rejects-sant-claims-on-gnr-matthew-psaila