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3 THE Vatican demanded on Tues- day that the leaders of the Knights of Malta cooperate with an in- quiry into alleged irregularities ordered by Pope Francis. In a statement, the Vatican re- jected what it called an attempt by the Rome-based Knights to dis- credit a Vatican-appointed com- mission investigating the dismiss- al of a top official over a condom scandal. "The Holy See counts on the complete cooperation of all in this sensitive stage," the statement said, Last week, Pope Francis spe- cifically requested the Knights of Malta that no one be dismissed in a dispute that saw its third-in- command, Albrecht von Boese- lager, thrown out as Grand Chan- cellor and then suspended from the Order. Boeselager was replaced by Mal- tese knight John Critien, who now represents the Sovereign Military Order as its foreign and home af- fairs minister. Boeselager was sacked on 6 De- cember by the Knights' Grand Master, Matthew Festing, in the presence of the Order's patron and prominent conservative critic of Francis, Cardinal Burke. adding that it "rejects ... any attempt to discredit (commission) members." Boeselager was dismissed Fest- ing, with the reasons dating back to when he was Grand Hospitaller from 1989 to 2014 and in charge of Malteser International, the Knights' large humanitarian aid agency located in 24 countries. During his tenure, the organisa- tion is documented to have dis- tributed thousands of condoms and oral contraceptives, mainly but not exclusively to help prevent prostitutes in the Far East and Af- rica contracting HIV/AIDS. Boeselager denies the charges. The Vatican said that it "reaf- firms its confidence" in the com- mission appointed last month by Francis to investigate Boeselager dismissal, calling the issue a "cri- sis of the central direction" of the ancient aristocratic lay Catholic order. The Knights of Malta have de- fied the pope, refusing to coop- erate with the investigation into the dismissal or to recognise the inquiry's legitimacy. maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 18 JANUARY 2017 News PN vows to do its part to save Air Malta but minister says he's not after quick-fix solutions PAUL COCKS THE Nationalist Party would remain proactive and will con- tinue putting forward proposals in the coming months on how Air Malta could be boosted with local investment and a greater participation by workers, shadow economy minister Claudio Grech said. However, tourism minister Ed- ward Zammit Lewis rubbished the opposition's credibility on Air Malta and said the govern- ment is not after "quick-fix solu- tions." Grech, who was addressing a press conference at the PN head- quarters in Hamrun yesterday, with Antoine Borg and Censu Galea, said any possible strategic partnership, as that sought with Alitalia, need not involve a trans- fer of 49% of the national airline's shareholding. On Friday, tourism minis- ter Edward Zammit Lewis an- nounced the government had ended negotiations with the Ital- ian airline, itself partly owned by Etihad Airways. "The concept and function of Air Malta is too big for us to let it fail," Grech said. "We once again offer our full cooperation, within the parameters of the very lim- ited information we have been made privy to." He said the PN had asked the minister to publish the airline's financial accounts for 2015 and 2016 and to say what progress had been made on the restruc- turing plan. Grech said the company should explain whether it was really op- erating with only six aircraft. "The Air Malta brand is suf- fering from the company's use of third-party aircraft through its wet-leasing exercise," he said. "This is compounded with the competition posed by low-cost carriers, especially if it is being disadvantaged because of ter- minal charges and other con- cessions granted to the low-cost airlines." Antoine Borg said the debate in parliament on Monday had raised more concerns than be- fore, particularly for all those in the tourism sector. "It is not enough for the minis- ter to tell us not to worry about Air Malta because tourism should be strong again this year," he said. Galea urged the minister to explain clearly what he meant by his promise to "give birth to a new Air Malta", which he had stated in his ministerial state- ment in parliament. He said airline workers and their families were more worried now after the minister's state- ment, since Zammit Lewis had failed to provide details on why the negotiations with Alitalia had failed and what the government planned to do. Government not after quick-fix solutions In reaction, Zammit Lewis rubbished the PN's claims, say- ing that he had always been transparent about Air Malta and pointed out that Monday's ministerial statement was the third he had made in 10 months. "It is ironic to hear Claudio Grech talk about Air Malta given that he was a close aide of former minister Austin Gatt, who is one of the people re- sponsible for driving Air Malta to the brink," the statement said. Zammit Lewis said that the other opposition spokesperson who addressed the press, An- toine Borg, was responsible for the PN's finances before the election, adding "therefore, the public can tell what credibility the PN has on Air Malta." While noting that the 2013 PN electoral programme, authored by opposition leader Simon Busuttil, made no mention of Air Malta, Zammit Lewis said that the former airline chair- man appointed by the previous PN government had admitted that the only way forward was a strategic agreement. "Why did the previous gov- ernment sit on this? Why is it now talking about local invest- ment?" Zammit Lewis asked. Accusing the opposition of playing to the gallery, the min- ister said that unlike previous administrations, the Labour government will not ignore the problems at Air Malta and will do its utmost to make the air- line commercially viable. "We're not after quick-fix so- lutions but after a serious long- term solution that will safe- guard jobs at Air Malta," the minister said. Vatican orders Knights of Malta to cooperate with papal inquiry Pope Francis with Fra' Matthew Festing, the 79th prince and grand master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta