One of two soldiers charged with the racially-motivated killing of a migrant had not been suspended despite having been convicted of a crime after being engaged in the Armed Forces of Malta, Home Affairs Michael Farrugia confirmed on Monday.
Dr Farrugia said that Lorin Scicluna, 22, was only given a warning as his conviction was not deemed to be very serious.
However, the minister refused to give any details about the nature Mr Scicluna's crime, saying only that the soldier in question had been given a conditional discharge.
The Home Affairs Minister was asked about the matter following a news conference marking the signing of a memorandum of understanding which will result in closer collaboration between the police force and the Malta Gaming Authority in the fight against economic crimes.
Questions raised following arraignment
Questions on the AFM’s procedures regarding soldiers who find themselves in hot water after being charged in court or convicted of a crime were raised on Sunday, when Mr Scicluna and another soldier - Francesco Fenech - were arraigned in connection with the murder last month.
Apart from the racially-motivated murder, Mr Scicluna was also accused of having committed a crime during the term of a condition discharge.
This accusation had raised eyebrows, prompting questions as to why the accused had not been suspended in the first place.
The Home Affairs Minister noted that the two suspects had joined the AFM with a clean criminal record. He pointed out that even those with a conviction might still be engaged - as long as it is not a serious case like “drug trafficking”. In such cases, soldiers were given a warning straight away but were allowed to join the force, he said.
Double standards
The particular case prompted fierce criticism from Godwin Schembri, a former AFM bombardier, who last year was fired on the spot by commander Jeffrey Curmi, following a rant he made regarding the installation of a gate at the Pembroke shooting range. The rant, which had been filmed by one of his colleagues on a mobile phone, was published on social media, fuelling embarrassment within the army’s top brass.
In a Facebook post, Mr Schembri accused the AFM commander of adopting double standards when handling cases of disciplinary nature. The aggrieved former bombardier has taken the AFM to court over unfair dismissal.
Asked about the matter on Monday morning, Dr Farrugia declined to enter the merits of Mr Schembri’s case saying it was the subject of pending court procedures: “I urge you to have a look at the submissions filed by the AFM and make your own judgment,” the Home Affairs Minister kept insisting.