The Armed Forces of Malta is insisting that its garage in Gozo, packed with up to five tons of high explosives, is “relatively safe” despite internal memos warning of an impending catastrophe.
MaltaToday revealed last Sunday how the authorities have been sitting on an illegal explosives store right next to the AFM shooting range in Nadur, Gozo, for a full 10 years since the office of the prime minister and the army were warned of the danger.
In its bid to cover up the extent of the hazard, the AFM is now claiming that “the storage and issue of explosives from Qortin Base is a practical and relatively safe operation”, but the official documents at the prime minister’s office – seen by this newspaper and which the army is declining to release – show otherwise.

According to a memo sent by Col. A. Grech on 18 September 1998, “when the store was taken into use (an ex-garage), the regulations appertaining to the storage of explosives were, for unknown reasons, not taken into consideration. These make it unlawful to store explosives at the safe distance of less than 270m from public traffic routes and 380m from a light structure.”
Yesterday, an AFM spokesman confirmed the site is also used for firing practice, in clear breach of instructions given 10 years ago by then prime minister Alfred Sant’s defence advisor, Martin Scicluna.
“The only type of military training being conducted at the AFM’s Qortin Base is pistol firing,” the army spokesman said. “Firing practice is conducted under the supervision of AFM Firing-Point Officers, and the live-firing is conducted under strict Range Practice Regulations.”
Yet Scicluna warned 10 years ago: “In our judgement, the safety aspect must be dealt with immediately. With small arms training and the use of pyrotechnics taking place in the area there is a risk which is not acceptable and should not be taken. … the present location, slap in the middle of the living accommodation area, is unsafe and unacceptable.”
The AFM is also holding back information about the amount of high explosives used for quarries that is being held at the illegal store, although official documents speak of “some 4,000 to 5,000 kgs and numerous detonators” at any one time.
The AFM said yesterday that “the amount of explosive material mentioned in the memo cited of 10 years ago referred more to the capacity of the store in terms of space, rather than the maximum quantity of explosive stored at the Qortin Base at any given time. The amount of explosive stored at the Qortin base is normally significantly less than the amounts quoted from the aforesaid memo.”
Scicluna had written a decade ago that while the idea to keep an explosive store in Gozo to serve the needs of Gozitan quarries was understood, the site created safety problems.
“The store is not purpose-built for ammunition storage and is not earthed against lightning strikes,” Scicluna had warned. “It is situated in the middle of the camp. An explosion could have catastrophic.”
Asked to publish the relevant documents and correspondence in line with government’s commitment towards freedom of information, the AFM declined to reply.
Meanwhile the Occupational Health and Safety Authority (OHSA), entrusted with the safety of the AFM soldiers on site, and the police force, which is legally responsible for enforcing explosives regulations, are both declining to take a position on the issue.
OHSA said the matter had to be referred to the Police Commissioner, but the police just replied that “the Prime Minister instructed the Defence Matters Directorate and the AFM to, immediately, conduct a full review of the situation and to submit their recommendations”.
By April 2000, AFM was reporting that “the explosives dump is in need of maintenance and refurbishment”, urging “for the necessary works to be made at the earliest in order to ensure that health and safety considerations are kept paramount.”
But it is only now, after news of the illegal explosives cache has been made public, that the prime minister has ordered “a full review” of the situation.
The revelation comes at a time when government and the police are stepping up measures to crack down on the illegal storage of explosives and fireworks, some of which in the midst of residential areas with fatal consequences.
Ironically, Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici said earlier this week that government was about to introduce harsher penalties for those caught producing and storing fireworks illegally.

kschembri@mediatoday.com.mt