Repubblika would withdraw complaint against AFM crew if inquiry is ordered

Civil society group Repubblika said on Sunday it would withdraw its criminal complaint against the Armed Forces of Malta P52 group accused of sabotaging a migrant boat if an inquiry is ordered into the matter.

In a statement on Sunday evening, it referred to a Times of Malta report stating that the crew of an Armed Forces of Malta patrol boat denied they had sabotaged the vessel.

An NGO that monitors the presence of migrant boats in the Mediterranean, Alarm Phone, last week claimed that a boat of migrants had been attacked at sea by Maltese personnel.

Repubblika noted that since the allegation was made 10 days ago, it was only now that there was the first denial of wrongdoing. Although this did not, in itself, close the matter, there were now at last two sides to the story.

All people who acted within the law deserved to be cleared of any suspicion of wrongdoing so the government should order an inquiry to establish the facts, something it should have done immediately, it said.

An inquiry would look at what happened on the boat, what orders were given and what decisions were taken on shore.

Should such an inquiry be ordered, Repubblika said it would withdraw its criminal...