Malta needs a new Police Commissioner and a new method of appointment, PN says
The Nationalist Party said Wednesday that the Maltese islands require a new Police Commissioner who is trusted by the Maltese and Gozitan people and is free from any political interference. The party in Opposition has also reiterated its proposal to
The Nationalist Party said Wednesday that the Maltese islands require a new Police Commissioner who is trusted by the Maltese and Gozitan people and is free from any political interference. The party in Opposition has also reiterated its proposal to change the manner in which the Police Commissioner is appointed.
This statement was published just a few days since the present Police Commissioner, Angelo Gafà, has had his term renewed for another four years.
In its statement – signed by its respective Shadow Ministers for the Interior and for Justice, Darren Carabott and Karol Aquilina – PN said that “The new Police Commissioner must be a person who has the necessary skills and experience, but also has the determination and willingness to carry out their duties without looking at names or faces.”
The Nationalist Party also repeated its stance that current Police Commissioner Angelo Gafà should no longer hold this position. It issued that due to his several “serious” shortcomings since his appointment in June 2020, “great demotivation and frustration” has been fostered among the corps’ police officers, and that this has resulted in many experienced officers leaving the Police Force altogether.
The party added that in his role, “Angelo Gafà has failed to investigate and take action in major cases of corruption, abuse of power, and money laundering by the highest exponents of the Labour Government.”
“It is scandalous that after four years in office, the Government renewed the appointment of Angelo Gafà, despite his clear and continuous failures in the fight against crime, in particular that which involves notable politicians in our country,” PN stated.
The Nationalist Party advocated a change in the way that the role of Police Commissioner is appointed. It is proposing that the role must be approved following a public call through the Public Service Commission, after a nominee appears before the Permanent Committee on Public Appointments, and by the President of Malta following a two-thirds majority vote from the Members of Parliament.
The political party will be presenting a bill to attempt to make this proposal official in the coming days. At the moment, the appointment of Police Commissioner role is solely decided by government.
PN is also proposing that a Police Commissioner cannot be removed from office unless a two-thirds majority vote is achieved by the Members of Parliament in the scenarios of either proven misconduct or if the person is deemed unable to serve the functions of their office (due to health or any reasons).
Concluding its statement, PN’s representatives wrote that “with this proposed mechanism, a system will be created whereby a person appointed as Police Commissioner will have the trust of both sides of the House, as is already the case in a number of other positions in our country, including the President, the Chief Justice, the Ombudsman, the Auditor General, and the Deputy Auditor General.
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