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€0.90 WWW.MALTATODAY.COM.MT WEDNESDAY EDITION WEDNESDAY • 19 MARCH 2014 • ISSUE 356 • PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY Newspaper post See page - 6-7 herring caviar MOPL TM NEW Revolutionary health food supplement has arrived in Malta. "Superior to anything currently available". Available from all pharmacies across Malta & Gozo ONE A DAY NO FISHY AFTERTASTE 2 MONTHS SUPPLY Distributed by JV Pharma www.tomolivernutrition.com Brain Function Weight Management Supporting Good Vision Joint Health Healthy Skin Healthy Heart mt survey How do different age groups assess Joseph Muscat Government insists that the accusations are without basis MALTATODAY is publishing documents dated 19 and 27 Febru- ary, 2014 which show that the Malta Security service has asked Maltese banks to issue a credit status report for senior police officers – which also includes the Brigadier of the Armed Forces of Malta, Jeffrey Curmi. The security clearance is a requisite for participation of Maltese senior of- ficers in EU security meetings. The revelation, which appeared on the MaltaToday online portal, was fol- lowed by a press conference by the PN Opposition. The credit status report is obliged to cover 10 years of banking transactions to assess any vulnerability to foreign and domes- tic pressure. The PN spokesmen queried the ve- racity of the statement by Minister for Home Affairs Manuel Mallia, when he had stated that the officers in question had had their security cleared before their promotions last year. But government has hit back, stat- ing that the Opposition was confus- ing the issues. "The officers were security-cleared before their appointments. This se- curity clearance is linked with their participation at EU security meet- ings." The PN has been critical of ap- pointments at the Armed Forces, and have gone as far as insinuating that the Brigadier was appointed because he was a friend of Joseph Muscat. Security processing raises Opposition's ire THE long-awaited ministerial reshuff le will take place at the end of the month. The reshuff le will leave Prime Minister Joseph Muscat with a super-ministry, complete with new parliamen- tary secretaries operating under his wing. Giving due attention to Edward Zammit Lewis will be a smart move on Joseph Muscat's part. The lawyer – who is also a friend to the prime minister – has made his mark as a junior minister. However, it is very unlikely that Zammit Lewis will be given the status of minister – in all prob- ability, he will take the finance ministry's portfolio under his wing as parliamentary secretary. The same is being considered in the case of the health port- folio, which remains a prior- ity for the prime minister, and could also end up in his lap. MaltaToday had reported that current Health Minister God- frey Farrugia would be moved out of Heath and appointed minister responsible for Social Policy. A move many have opined would prove to be a crucial mis- take, since the social policy ministry is far too com- plex for the Zebbug- based general pr ac t it ioner turned poli- tician. Reshuffle by end of the month, Zammit Lewis touted for Finance Edward Zammit Lewis Air Malta engages four foreign pilots AIR Malta has decided to engage four foreign pilots, after the na- tional airline has been boasting about an aggressive restructuring programme which included phas- ing out many Maltese experienced pilots. Air Malta has been facing tough times, with a restructuring pro- gramme which saw the redundancy of hundreds of workers and their replacement with a foreign manage- ment. The engagement of the four first officers will kick off in April, when they will also begin their simulator training. News of the new recruitment drive came in the wake of the announce- ment that Air Malta's chief officer of finance, Nick Xuereb, has resigned from his post. SEE FULL REPORT PAGES 8, 9 The letter from the Malta Security Service, dated 27 February, requesting a Credit Status report from a bank for the Brigadier Jeffrey Curmi (pictured). The same request was made for senior offi cers Mark Mallia, Pierre Vassallo and Mark Said

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