Home Affairs Minister Camelo Abela this evening defended the Civil Protection Department after opposition claims that it had engaged two convicted criminals in a case of political patronage.
Speaking in Parliament Mr Abela referred to comments by Nationalist MP Beppe Fenech Adami http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20150610/local/convicted-criminals-recruited-in-civil-protection-department-as-many.571965
He said the two applicants, Jonathan Callus and Natalino Spiteri, were convicted by a court in 2006 and the effects of that sentence had expired. They had no other convictions, before or since.
The two applicants submitted their conduct certificates with their applications to join the Civil Protection Department. Mr Spiteri submitted Form A, showing good conduct. He was accepted, but then opted not to join the department.
Mr Callus submitted Form B, which showed the conviction. The recruitment board therefore wrote to him telling him he was ineligible.
Mr Callus through his lawyer submitted a petition pleading for reconsideration.
The recruitment board wrote to the Public Service Commission, which 'ordered' the Civil Protection Department not to drop the application.
Mr Callus subsequently passed the interview process and was recruited.
It was worth noting, Mr Abela said, that prior to his application to join the Civil Protection Department, Mr Callus had been a volunteer within the same department since 2004, having joined under the former government. He was always praised for his work.
It was also worth noting, he added, that two of the PSC's five members were recommended by the Leader of the Opposition.
Had Dr Fenech Adami expected the Civil Protection Department to ignore the PSC's order?
Furthermore, he asked, what were Dr Fenech Adami's views on reintegrating into society people who made a mistake in their life and had a conviction?
Turning to other claims made by Dr Fenech Adami about other applicants having joined the CPD because they were Labour supporters, Mr Abela denied the claims, but said this was a blatant case of double standards.
Perhaps, he said, the Nationalist MP had forgotten how the former government had, for example, engaged journalists at PBS straight from Net TV, including Mario Xuereb, Keith Demicoli, Sergio Mallia and David Bonello.
So couldn't the Civil Protection Department engage a former Super One camerman, once he was qualified to work there and applied to do so?