Fenech Adami warns of ‘racket’ in Maltese consulate in Algeria

PN deputy leader Beppe Fenech Adami has called on the government to launch an inquiry into a potential “racket” at the Maltese consulate in Algeria.

Speaking at a parliamentary debate, Fenech Adami pointed to parliamentary questions that reveal that the Maltese consulate has handed out 6,748 visas to Algerian citizens since it started accepting visa applications in March 2014.

“I am informed that a lot of these Algerians who obtain visas only spend a few hours in Malta, before departing to other EU countries,” he said. “Air Malta has recently extended its flights to Algeria and, while I stand to be corrected, I hear that the flights to Malta tend to be packed but the return flights all but empty.”

Parliament had convened to debate the Budget allocated for the Home Affairs ministry for 2016, and the PN deputy leader spared his harshest words for Identity Malta – the government agency that he described as the “monument of institutionalised corruption”.

He pointed out that the number of Maltese residence permits handed out has increased dramatically in recent years, with over 13,000 handed out in the past two years.

Claiming that such a spike could only have occurred because “somebody must have bribed someone”, Fenech Adami hit out at the amount of political appointments at Identity Malta, including its executive chairman Joe Vella Bonnici.

He called on home affairs minister Carmelo Abela to come clean on how many people are living in Malta thanks to illegally-granted residence permits.

“This is the result of Joseph Muscat’s political philosophy that everything is for sale. Someone must have thought that if passports are for sale, then residence permits are fair game too.”

He questioned how several foreigners are registered to the same address – including 53 to one San Gwann house and 26 to one St. Julian’s residence – and questioned how these cases have escaped Identity Malta’s notice.  

€300,000 in direct order to purchase second-hand police cars

Separately, Fenech Adami called for an investigation into how a car dealer was paid around €300,000 for granting the police force with a set of second hand police cars.

“The case stinks of abuse and corruption, and I appeal on the minister to launch an inquiry,” he said.

Fenech Adami warned of a “police exodus”, with 123 police officers from all ranks having resigned form the force in the past year, equivalent to 10% of the total force.

He warned that the consequence of such a “demoralised’ police force is the closure of several police stations on several consecutive nights – including those of Ghaxaq, Dingli, Balzan, Mtarfa, Gharb, Kirkop, Safi, Attard, Isla, Birgu – police stations closed all week long.

Pointing to a lack of security in Paceville and reiterating his call for a police station in the nightlife district, he recounted how a Libyan youth had managed to stab five people in a crazed knife attack on a Saturday night and how six Croatian football supporters had last week caused absolute chaos in Paceville.

“Robberies have exploded in certain localities, and Abela chose to deal with it by ridiculing the Opposition through the government’s Department of Information for exposing the alarming rise in crime in certain localities.

“In the first nine months of the year, 3,430 robberies have been committed in Sliema, San Gwann, St Julians, St Paul’s Bay, Swieqi and Gzira alone,” he said.  

While he welcomed the budgetary measure to tax police extra duties separately, he criticised the government for “playing a political game” and cutting police overtime.

 “In the first half of 2014, €944,000 was paid in police overtime,” he said. “In the first half of this year, it was slashed by around half to €553,000.”

In a response to Fenech Adami's speech, home affairs Carmelo Abela accused his opponent of criticising the government without issuing a single proposal, or even speaking about the Budget measures.

Repeatedly insisting that he doesn’t treat people according to their political colours, he rubbished claims that criminality has increased under the Labour administration and that people in the Armed Forces gain promotions through political allegiance.

Indeed, he said that soldiers’ annaul wages –of all ranks – will increase by €345 as of next year.

Moreover, the government is analysing the possibility of introducing an insurance policy to cover members of the disciplined forces who suffer injuries during their line of work.

Accusing the PN of lacking a vision for the police force, he said that the government has embarked on a cosnultaiton period for police reform.

“It needs a clear strategy for the future, something that was lacking in the past, and an administraitive change. The police force cannot be run as it was 40 years ago, but bringing the force into the modern world will require a mentality change.”

He said that the government has increased the number of police officers on the beat by 100 officers since 2013 – up to 1,040 police officers.

On Paceville, he said that the government has launched a working group to improve the town’s security.

Moreover, he claimed that an average of 18 police officers are on duty at Paceville every night, in sharp contrast to the average of three under the previous administration.