Bonġu News on Wednesday 12 April 2023

‘No request’ for rescue?

The Armed Forces Malta AFM claimed they had not received a request for rescuing a boat carrying 400 asylum seekers. Search and rescue NGOs accused Malta of only instructing a cargo ship to give fuel to the boat, instead of coordinating rescue.

“Written communication received by the AFM from the ship captain providing duty of care confirms that no rescue was requested by the people on board”, the armed forces replied.

Alarm Phone called AFM’s statement “absurd” and accused the armed forces of lying and denying responsibility.

The NGO said it had sent 21 emails requesting a rescue operation since 9 April. “We also called and asked for rescue, only to be hung up on”, Alarm Phone added.

Another boat spotted

On Tuesday evening, Sea Watch said that another boat with about 400 people was spotted in Malta’s search and rescue area.

The NGO said it had launched a mayday relay and monitored the scene together with an Italian Air Force aircraft. It said a rescue operation was needed immediately.

PN: ‘Don’t put lives at risk’

The Nationalist Party said the government continues to refuse assistance to irregular migrants in clearly dangerous situations.

The PN said it deplores the behaviour of Robert Abela’s government and accused it of ignoring international obligations.

“The immigration challenge will not be solved by endangering the lives of innocent people, including women and children, simply to make a political point”, it said.

‘Orchestrated mud-slinging’

Christian Borg, Joseph Camenzuli and their car companies filed a counter-protest in court on Tuesday morning. They categorically denied the allegations and claimed this was “an orchestrated mud-slinging campaign” against them.

Some 26 clients had filed a judicial protest calling for a police investigation into alleged tax evasion and fraud. Among other allegations, the customers maintained they were being constrained to pay for services they had not received.

The companies said the clients’ claims were factually and legally unfounded and all payments requested were genuine.

Significant delays

Significant delays at Air Malta since Sunday were due to a technical issue in an aircraft which had to be withdrawn from service.

The airline said flights to Zurich on Sunday, to Rome and Brussels on Monday and to London Gatwick on Tuesday had been affected.

Air Malta is understood to have had a delay in the delivery of new aircraft while one of two currently leased aircraft is now undergoing maintenance.