|
Karl Schembri
Government is expected to change the diplomatic staff at the Beijing Embassy “soon” in a bid to restore credibility amid serious allegations about visas issued to Chinese students.
Ambassador Saviour Gauci and Consul Joe Pirotta have been instructed by the Foreign Ministry to remain here “for as long as necessary” as new information from investigations by Maltese and Italian police is expected to shed light on the trafficking of Chinese students to Sicily.
The two diplomats were interrogated by the police last week during a holiday in Malta in the wake of the death of six Chinese nationals on Sicilian shores which triggered the Italians' outrage at what they believe to be an organised racket starting from the Maltese embassy in Beijing.
Three Chinese immigrants remain dispersed while six survivors told Italian police they had left from Malta on a speedboat with two armed Maltese nationals.
In an interview with MaltaToday, Foreign Minister Michael Frendo says he is waiting for a “concrete fact” to emerge out of police investigations but he makes it clear that he is concerned about the credibility of the Maltese embassy.
“Certainly, the credibility has been dented,” the minister says, adding that he is “waiting for some other things to develop from the police”.
The immigrants are believed to have been subscribed to English language schools although officially the government still insists there is “no proof” they left from here. Visas to Chinese nationals have been temporarily suspended.
There are also another 46 immigrants in Sicily who the Italian government insists had left from Malta.
“I know this is being looked at and this is something which is factually important for me, because we're not talking of a one-off, we're talking about a number, a significant number, and we're talking about two batches (of immigrants),” Frendo said. “And it is very important for me, or rather for the police, to establish whether there is a clear indication that they left from Malta. This is very important for all my subsequent considerations.
“I'm still looking at the situation because it is also my duty to ensure that the operations of any embassy are operations in which there is full credibility and faith of public opinion. So I am also looking at this issue not simply at what the police would have to look at and what others would have to look at. …This is something which I am very actively concerned about; it's very high in my considerations. …If we can show concretely that we had, not as a one-off, but more than that, a situation where people came here to study English and did not study English but were actually taken to another country, that is enough for me.”
Contacted yesterday, Gauci declined to comment.
“Ask the ministry,” he said.
Attempts to contact Pirotta proved futile.
|
