Police investigating arson cases 'relentlessly'

Police said yesterday that following the arson attempt on newspaper columnist Daphne Caruana Galizia's residence last week, the number of police inspectors investigating the spate of arson attacks had been increased to four.

Earlier yesterday Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi told a press conference he had had a meeting with Police Commissioner John Rizzo on the issue.

The police said they were treating these cases "with maximum attention, energy and integrity".

The investigators assigned to this investigation were highly professional and experienced officers who had solved many serious cases in their career. Since the last arson, the number of investigating officers had been doubled to four inspectors, each with their respective three-member investigating team, focused solely on these cases.

The police said that they were exploring all possible avenues. Several people were arrested and others interviewed at length, including some members of Viva Malta.

"The investigating teams are conducting their investigations relentlessly. They are doing all that is humanly possible and will not stop until these cases are solved and the people involved are brought before the courts."

A few days ago the police successfully investigated a case in which a garage door in Birkirkara was set alight, but it did not result that this case was linked to the other arson cases.

The police have urged the public to come forward with information.