Robert Abela on Monday reaffirmed his trust in the armed forces despite the theft of 200kg of illegal drugs from an army base.
The drugs were stolen from a container at Safi barracks on Saturday night. The drugs, seized last year, were being held there following a request by the courts pending destruction. Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri offered his resignation, but the Prime Minister promptly refused it.
Abela told the press on Monday evening: “I have total confidence in all the forces of our country. Whether it be the police, the Armed Forces, the Civil Protection Department or LESA, I have total confidence in these institutions”.
“We should not condemn, in a general sense, all the armed forces or other disciplinary forces,” he added.
However, he added that if ongoing inquiries reveal shortcomings by individuals, those responsible must be held accountable.
Abela said three separate investigations were underway into the theft at an AFM-manned facility in Ħal Safi: a police investigation, a magisterial inquiry led by Magistrate Antoine Agius Bonnici and an administrative inquiry headed by retired judge Geoffrey Valencia.
The Prime Minister stressed the importance of evaluating the army’s work holistically, highlighting its role in handling irregular immigration. He described the AFM’s duties as “the most sensitive function” of preventing arrivals and saving lives.
Abela insisted that the government was taking the theft seriously. He noted that AFM commander Brigadier Clinton J O’Neill had been suspended, even though, he said, there was no proof the brigadier participated in any wrongdoing.
On Sunday, Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri offered his resignation to Abela in light of the incident, but the Prime Minister refused to accept it.
“I have total confidence in Camilleri,” Abela reiterated on Monday, adding that Camilleri had not resigned.
Camilleri suspended O’Neill following the drug theft, which took place in an army-guarded container where a consignment of seized illegal drugs was being stored.