The Armed Forces of Malta’s top brass, all of whom enjoy the rank of full colonels – considered a prestigious rank – who have been transferred to the Detention Service after the general election of March 2013, all held key roles in the day-to-day running of the AFM’s operations.
The colonels had all been assigned to their important tasks by the AFM’s former Commander, Brigadier Martin Xuereb, who resigned and was replaced by Jeffrey Curmi. But soon after this, a number of them suffered what is being described as a “demotion”.
The colonels are almost all advanced staff college trained, but their expertise will hardly be utilised by the Detention Service, which deals with migrant detainees.
The common denominator, this newspaper is informed, is that none of them are government sympathisers.
Col. Harold Stivala, who was transferred to Lyster Barracks (one of the detention centres) last June, retired with effect from January this year. Prior to being transferred, he had headed the AFM Branch for capability and training. Col. Martin Bondin, who was also transferred, was head of human resources prior to his transfer.
Deputy commander Col. David Attard, who was also responsible for international affairs, resigned before even starting his new role with the Detention Service. Col. Karl Sammut, who has a degree in IT, was head of the IT section, while Col. Ian Ruggier was in charge of operations.
Sources said that this government had pledged that it was ready to work with everyone, whichever party one supported, but in reality this has not happened, and instead Labour-leaning individuals leap-frogged to the second highest rank in the AFM in a matter of weeks, while those with different political affiliations were handed a transfer.
As things stand, the Home Affairs Minister (currently Dr Manuel Mallia) can promote and demote officials in the AFM as he deems fit. This law was not created yesterday. Under a PN-led government it was the Office of the Prime Minister who called the shots when it came to the army, as the AFM fell under its remit.
Another transferee, this time within the Civil Protection Department, is John Gera, who was transferred to the Detention Service when, prior to this, he had served as a manager with the CPD, which was headed at the time by Peter Cordina, who is now contesting the EP elections on the PL ticket.
The latest transfer to the Detention Service involves Major Ruth Ruggier, the wife of Col. Ian Ruggier (he was transferred to the Detention Service on his return from a risky mission to Somalia). Her new role is that of second-in-command at Safi Barracks detention centre and she is in charge of around 140 male detainees but no women – a number that may well rise due to the increased migrant flow synonymous with the summer season.
Of the over 100 commissioned officers in the AFM, two posts out of three in the Detention Service have been taken up by officers from the same family.
Sources said that such a move may expose this family (the Ruggiers) and their young children to higher health risks, since they are working with migrant detainees.
Sources also said that, regardless of which political party they support, the Ruggiers have always performed their jobs to the best of their abilities.
Earlier this week, shadow minister for home affairs Jason Azzopardi tore into the government, particularly Minister Manuel Mallia, regarding the transfer of Col. Ruggier and Major Ruggier.
Dr Azzopardi claimed that his cell phone was being tapped by the government, a claim which was vehemently denied by Minister Mallia, who referred to the claim as outrageous.
When Dr Azzopardi’s fellow MP Joe Cassar, a psychiatrist by profession, walked into the House while the two were in a heated argument, Dr Mallia said that “Dr Cassar’s services were needed before he walked in”, implying that Dr Azzopardi was hallucinating and needed psychiatric help.