Almost half of the Armed Forces personnel have been promoted since the snap election announcement, including a fresh batch of backdated promotions issued in the last few days, this newspaper has learnt.
The latest promotions were announced in yesterday’s edition of the Government Gazette. They include two officers who were controversially promoted to be lieutenants colonel a few months following Labour’s accession to power in 2013.
The two officers were among a group of four majors, including Jeffrey Curmi and Mark Mallia, who in a matter of weeks, leapfrogged to commander and deputy commander, respectively, fuelling a barrage of criticism from the Opposition. It has now emerged that the other two officers will benefit from salary arrears, as their 2013 appointments to lieutenant colonel were backdated to 2010 and 2003, respectively. The list in the Government Gazette comprises another seven backdated promotions, mostly going back three years.
READ: Third of army promoted ahead of election
Earlier, nearly a third of the AFM moved up in an ‘unprecedented’ promotion exercise
Meanwhile, a further 17 members of the Armed Forces have been awarded backdated promotions – some back to 1998 – on the recommendation of the Army Complaints Board.
These were announced in a general order issued last Friday, just two days after the issuance of 136 backdated promotions, once again on the recommendation of the grievances board set up in 2013.
Prior to this exercise, nearly a third of the Armed Forces personnel moved up a rank in what was described at the time as an unprecedented promotion exercise at election time.
However, following these 403 promotions, mainly given to Labour sympathisers, the rush continued, raising the overall number of army members moving up the ranks to close to 600.
Army sources who spoke with the Times of Malta on condition of anonymity indicated that further promotions may be announced in the last few remaining editions of the Government Gazette before the country goes to the polls next Saturday.