Soldiers alleged to have taken part in a 'cocaine party' while on duty had not consumed any illicit substances, the Armed Forces of Malta said on Friday following an internal investigation.

Claims that uniformed staff at Lyster Barracks had partied and used cocaine first surfaced in a post on Facebook by Godwin Schembri, a soldier who was dismissed from the AFM in 2018 after footage of a light-hearted moment with colleagues went viral on social media. 

The AFM had subsequently confirmed that one soldier had refused to take a drug test and said that he had been immediately dismissed. An investigation was also ordered into Schembri's claims. 

That probe had now been concluded, the AFM said on Friday.

Urine drug tests taken by all the soldiers involved proved negative. 

The internal investigation, the AFM said, still highlighted certain misdemeanours which could have occurred on the day and disciplinary action will be taken accordingly.

The AFM reiterated its zero-tolerance policy on the use of illicit substances.