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maltatoday, SUNDAY, 9 MARCH 2014 7 MATTHEW VELLA THE former Labour minister for in- dustry Joe Grima has been appointed by Joseph Muscat as his special en- voy to the United Nations' World Tourism Organisation. UNWTO is the United Nations agency responsible for the promo- tion of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism – Gri- ma himself was once tourism minis- ter from 1983 to 1987. The unannounced appointment marks the return of Grima to the Labour fold, after his programme 'Inkontri' on Labour's One TV, was axed over his Facebook outburst against a Catholic priest who wrote a somewhat contentious obituary on former prime minister Dom Mint- off. His appointment comes months after dubbing Muscat "masochist" for appointing former broadcaster Lou Bondì – a bête noire for La- bourites the nation over – to the national festivities committee. He described the former Bon- diplus presenter as "scrap" and said he was under "no illusion that this was no new way of doing politics. This is masochism the likes of which not even Alfred Sant, who lost four elections, managed to display". When Muscat asked him not to continue broadcasting on One TV, it was after Grima had unceremoni- ously called on Catholic Herald col- umnist Fr Alexander Lucie-Smith to "f*** off" over his views on Dom Mintoff. After causing a public uproar, Muscat did his best to disassociate himself from Grima, and the broad- caster submitted his resignation, saying his reaction to Lucie-Smith's obituary was "certainly inappropri- ate". Grima had been welcomed back on One TV following Muscat's election as Labour leader in 2008. Having once been the staunchest critic of the Nationalist Party, and a hate figure for the Fenech Adami administration, he later allied him- self with the same administration. In the mid-1990s, he surprised au- diences when he was given a chat show on the PN's Net Television, after breaking ranks with Labour leader Alfred Sant. But upon his return to One TV, his cantankerous criticism of the original 'enemy' restored his loyalty to Labour. A BBC-qualified producer, Grima once served as chief executive at the Broadcasting Authority, before entering the political fray in 1976. He was elected in a bye-election for the seat vacated by the infamous Labour minister Lorry Sant. Before being appointed minister in 1981, Grima was Mintoff's spe- cial envoy for Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. In 1981 he was appointed minister for industry and commerce, and then tourism minister in 1983. mvella@mediatoday.com.mt News MIRIAM DALLI FEMALE prisoners at Corradino Correctional Facility have urged two ministers to allow them to serve part of their sentence by doing commu- nity work. Yesterday, Home Affairs Minister Manuel Mallia and Equal Opportu- nities Minister Helena Dalli visited female inmates serving sentences or awaiting trial. Marking International Women's Day, Dalli donated a number of books in English and Maltese. "I know I have to make amends for what I did, but why shouldn't I be given the chance to do voluntary work? I want to help others… that way I know I'm doing something good for society," one inmate told the ministers. A mother of five, the woman said she left a three-month-old child be- hind when she was sentenced for drug trafficking – a sentence that was handed after completing a drug rehabilitation programme. Helena Dalli admitted that even a town mayor, unnamed, had com- plained that no female prisoners, in contrast to male inmates, are sent to do community work. Another prisoner, a drug addict in jail for theft, said spending her days in prison was of little benefit to her in the end. "I am a drug addict. What I need are rehabilitation courses and education on drugs… Because after I serve my sentence it will be those same people that I will meet." A small number of prisoners who did not shy away from the cameras welcomed a number of changes in- troduced recently – including the change in food provided, improving to the point that the prisoners "no longer request food from home". Time being their greatest enemy, CCF residents are given the op- portunities to follow up courses at MCAST. Minister Mallia said a textiles company had even accepted inmates to do some of its sewing works. "You can lose your freedom but you do not lose your dignity," Mallia said. "Whether you have been sen- tenced or are awaiting trial, being here does not mean it's the end of it all. In life we all make mistakes and justice has to take its course." A small crowd of female prison- ers gathered around the ministers to talk to them, while others ap- proached members of the media, eager to share their thoughts and ideas. Two inmates – a 20-year-old Polish girl and a 24-year-old inmate from the Dominican Republic – shied away from the cameras, hud- dling in a corner, and whispering to each other, their hands covering their mouths. The Pole was arrested two years ago for drug trafficking and is now awaiting trial. She had travelled to Malta with her now ex-boyfriend, also in prison on heroin trafficking. Back in her homeland, she was a student who fell in with the wrong crowd. "They were a bad influence… he was a bad influence," she told me. "I disappointed my parents and my brother," the young woman said, who still enjoys her family's support. Last year she passed her Physics O- level. Now she will sit for English and Mathematics. Female inmates want to do voluntary work Muscat gives Grima 'special envoy' role INTERVISTI MA' PROTAGONISTI MID-DINJA TAT-TEATRU 10 TA' MARZU JANE MARSHALL U NARCY CALAMATTA INTERVISTATI MINN IMMANUEL MIFSUD ZZZPDOWDFXOWXUHFRPZZZWHDWUXPDQRHOFRP 7PM - TEATRU MANOEL DHUL B'XEJN - NUMRU LIMITAT 0802. Teatru - Mid-Dinja Tat-Teatru - 21x2.indd 1 07/03/2014 11:00 During a visit from Home Affairs and Equal Opportunities ministers, female inmates expressed their wish to be able to engage in voluntary work, like their male counterparts Former Labour minister whom Muscat axed from One TV for tasteless Facebook rant, is back in government fold Joe Grima Helena Dalli (left) and Manuel Mallia MaltaToday journalist Miriam Dalli speaks to female inmates – some of whom are from foreign countries