Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/765642
maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 21 DECEMBER 2016 4 YANNICK PACE PAUL COCKS A law yer who has been engaged to review the case of the group of migrants currently awaiting de- portation at the Safi Detention Centre has informed this news- paper that authorities are drag- ging their feet in granting him access to his clients. Gianluca Capitta said that he said contacted the police's com- munity and media relations unit (CMRU) for clearance to speak with the detainees however au- thorities are dragging their feet in granting access. "I sent a request on the 14th De- cember and was told that I need- ed to provide the names of each individual I wanted to speak to. I managed to obtain the names and police numbers of 20 of the detainees and provided CMRU with the details," said Capitta. Once the police's media office was provided with the required information, Capitta said that he contacted the police once again and was told that, Andrew Seychell - the assistant police commissioner in charge of im- migration – had requested that Capitta provide the date of birth of each individual, as well as that he specif y which the first name and last name of each detainee is. "The authorities are clearly dragging their feet but these people have a right law yer. They are being detained with no con- tact with the outside world," he said. But home affairs minister Carmelo Abela denied this and said "I don't have this informa- tion and as far as I know, NGOs have access to the migrants and this was confirmed by the NGOs themselves in a recent meeting." In comments to MaltaToday, Abela said the head of the deten- tion centre has not denied access to any law yers but said that he will personally verif y whether the Capitta's claims are true. Abela also said that the de- tained people are now down to 24 from the 33 arrested last month, explaining that some 'failed asylum seekers' were re- leased after providing the neces- sary documents and in one case a man was released after show- ing proof that he is a father of a small child. Asked when the people would be deported to Mali, Abela said that the delegation from the Af- rican country has interviewed the detainees and "we are wait- ing for the report by the iden- tification mission and once the report is finalised they will then proceed." They are expected to be de- ported as part of a deal signed between Mali and the EU. The deal will see the EU provide fi- nancial aid to the African coun- try in return for it accepting to take back failed asylum seekers and for Mali stepping up its ef- forts to clamp down on human smuggling. The move has instilled fear amongst the migrant commu- nity in Malta and has raised the concern of civil society mem- bers and human rights NGOs who have argued that, while not strictly illegal, the decision to deport individuals, many of whom have been living in Malta for a number of years now, is in- humane and sends out the wrong message, since the detainees have been complying with the authorities and have also been working and contributing to the Maltese economy. In a clear indictment of the Muscat administration's joint- European deportation of the long-term migrants from Malta President Marie Louise Coleiro Preca last week said "I believe that Malta should continue to host all those who live among us, or those who come to visit us, with the utmost love and re- spect. I am morally convinced that we should appreciate, and not condemn, persons who are helping to build our prosperity, and who form part of our soci- ety, by sending them back." News OPM intervention 'unwarranted' CONTINUES FROM PAGE 1 Ac- cording to the NAO, the in- terventions were intended to see the acquisition through following a reduction in price by HSBC, which reduction was perceived as addressing the concerns raised by the fi- nance ministry's permanent secretary. "The NAO consid- ers the decision to overrule the permanent secretary as within the remit of the Fi- nance Minister [Tonio Fene- ch] and the parliamentary secretary [Jason Azzopardi]." Addressing a press con- ference yesterday, justice minister Owen Bonnici said Azzopardi had no credibil- ity to criticise anyone good governance, after having presided over an election-eve land transfer deal at Xemxi- ja's il-Fekruna. "The two re- ports also deal with land val- ued at €8 million in Qormi, given away for €700,000 to a PN benefactor, and for this Azzoparid must shoulder re- sponsibility." The two audits by the NAO, tabled in the House on Monday, concluded that the transfer of the land of the former Lowenbrau brewery in Qormi in 2009 had been negligent and of the gravest concern, highlighting the failure in terms of good gov- ernance, accentuated by "the extraordinary haste of the process", which should have involved – but did not – vari- ous ministers and even par- liamentary intervention. The plot of land at Ta' L- Istabal, Qormi, measuring approximately 21,000 square metres, was granted to Löwenbräu Ltd and author- ised directly by the Minister for Economic Affairs, justi- fied in terms of the economic benefit that was to be gener- ated. Lawyer claims authorities dragging their feet over granting detained migrants legal access A detained Malian migrant being led inside the Safi detention centre last month