(Adds PN's statement)

Jeffrey Curmi has been appointed deputy commander of the Armed Forces of Malta, with effect from October 4.

This is the third promotion given to deputy commander Curmi in three weeks. Last Friday he was one of four officers promoted to colonel only days after they were promoted to lieeutenant colonels from majors.

The appointment was announced in today's Government Gazette.

In a statement, the Nationalist Party said the appointment showed that the intellectual dishonesty of Home Affairs Minister Manuel Mallia, who, when asked by the media about this individual yesterday, did not have the decency to admit that the notice announcing his appointment was to be issued today.

The appointment also showed that the Government was generous with its people but miserly with the rest. It was well known that Mr Curmi was a family friend of the Prime Minister because of his work in explosives, the PN said.

It said Mr Curmi's appointment was detrimental to meritocracy as he had at least 10 years less experience than other colonels.

The appointment also confirmed what the Opposition and former Government consultant on the army Martin Scicluna had said that all the work done for the army to become professional in the past 17 years was at risk because it was being administered like a political club.

Following all the records of promotions established in the past three weeks, the Government transformed the army into a Labour Party tool instead of an instrument to serve the state.

In view of all this, the Nationalist Party expected the Prime Minister to say whether he was comfortable with such abusive behaviour which went totally against his promise of meritocracy.