The amateur hijacking of a Libyan plane on 23 December was followed by an equally amateur arraignment at noon on Christmas Day as armed police escorted the two alleged hijackers for their appearance in court.
A former soldier, who was responsible for news dissemination by AFM in his time, Ivan M Consiglio, wrote a letter of protest to the Commissioner of Police and copied it on Facebook.
The letter read:
Dear Commissioner of Police,
"This is also directed to your key leadership at R.I.U. in Ta' Kandja:
"Why on Christmas Day was the Maltese taxpayer given a distasteful show of wrong decision-making processes and decent forward planning, or lack of a standing/standard operating procedure (S.O.P.), by having R.I.U. police operators play the goon squad in the middle of Republic Street in Valletta (also under the eyes of countless tourists thinking this was Juarez in Mexico!!), by parading two Libyan wannabe hijackers of the amateur-level calibre to the courthouse ??
"I Am asking as am curious to know what changed from the routine, mundane and much safer and discreet back door Strait Street entrance via the Law Courts' garage, we are so much accustomed to.
"Is some nostalgic amongst your ranks trying to outdo the Fort St. Elmo arraignment of Egyptair's flight MS 648 hijacker Mohammed Ali Rezaq, when the Police SMU of the time had his balls in titanium?
"I Am sure that the Hon. Minister Carmelo Abela may also sympathise with these thoughts and feelings expressed here, which I am sharing after lengthy conversation over Christmas Day's lunch.
"Too much machoism of gun-totting cops in counter-revolutionary warfare (CRW) gear is not going to improve the Maltese public's perception or appreciation of the Malta Police Corps members and their valid work.
"Neither will it deter those criminal or terrorist potential perpetrators of unlawful acts from committing anything your ego-tripping personnel cannot handle. The Fathi Shqaqi (of the PLO) assassination on the Sliema Front by the Mossad comes to mind..."
Among the comments posted in reply on the same Facebook page, one read that this show of strength must have undone three years of marketing of Malta as a safe place.
Another asked: "In other countries special squads have their faces covered. Why not ours because they are SPECIAL SPECIAL?"
And yet another: "No helicopters hovering over the law courts? did we take that risk?"
Photographer Rene Rossignaud commented: "It was a show of force which could and will back fire. There was no need for all those weapons as after all these are wannabe hijackers with rubber guns. For me this hijack was purely attention seeking for their behalf or political belief. Also they could have used a normal van which enters the back door of court as per normal criminals and not use Republic Street as they did on Christmas Day!!!""
Yet another one commented: "If they did have a warning of danger they should have taken them from the back where they can't be exposed to any snipers or any other weapons."
One last comment: "If trouble was expected (because that is the only reason why the RIU goes out fully geared) they risked the safety of the public by making a show of themselves in Republic Street. NOT IMPRESSED but VERY CONCERNED."